In Enemy Hearts
by KittenOfDoomage
Summary: Set after the events at the end of S4 after the end of the world as Buffy knew it. A struggle for survival. Further summary inside. Spuffy. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

In Enemy Hearts

AU from Primeval: As Buffy faces off with Adam, the spell is performed but the demons break through. Buffy gets distracted and tries to save her friends, but fails. Spike gets her out and they battle their way out of the Initiative. Adam assembles his army and the world is doomed…or so it seems.

AUTHORS NOTE: It's been nearly eight years since I started this story...blimey. Now with the help of Google Maps, I'm hoping it will be a bit more accurate. Really want to get some of these WIP's done!

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

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Spike pulled Buffy up from the elevator, ignoring the screams coming from below. Fresh tears coursed down her face as they ran from Lowell House, away from the massacre that was occurring down below. As they reached her house, she stopped, collapsing into the grass. Spike stood beside her, looking behind him. It wouldn't be long now before the demon hybrid started his plan and Spike knew they had to get as far away from Sunnydale as they could.

'Slayer…' He started; only to be met by wracking sobs. 'Buffy, pet…we have to get going.'

'They're all dead. We failed.' She sobbed, not looking up at him as she buried her face in her hands. He grimaced and knelt in front of her as she continued crying. 'They're dead.'

'Pet, you tried your hardest. But there were too many of them.' He soothed her, reaching out a hand to caress her shoulder. She looked up at him, anger in her gaze.

'You didn't help. You teamed up with him.' She backed away from him, throwing his touch from her body as if burned. 'You worked with him. You wanted us dead.' She punched him and he fell backwards, landing on the ground with a thud. He stared up at her.

'Maybe I did. I'm a vampire Buffy. But I didn't kill your friends.' She narrowed her eyes. 'I tried to help you then.'

'Only because you knew I would kill you. You only ever look out for yourself.'

'Should have left you in there then, shouldn't I?' He spat, getting to his feet. 'I dragged you out, and I'm sorry I couldn't save your friends. But you survived.'

'It doesn't matter now does it?' She said faintly, and looked away. 'They're dead. I have to tell Tara and Anya what happened. Tell them to get out of town.' She closed her eyes tightly against more tears and then looked at Spike. 'I suggest you leave, before I do kill you.' Spike clenched his jaw, looking at her hard. God, he hated her. She was the Slayer; he should have left her in there to die. He couldn't find a logical reason for why he didn't.

'Fine. Just make sure you get yourself out of town. And get your mum away too.' He added, turning away from her. 'I hope we don't run into each other again, Slayer, cos I won't help you next time.'

Buffy watched him leave, and then turned towards her house, seeing her mother looking out of the window. An explosion sounded in the distance and Buffy looked towards the horizon for a second, tears glistening in her eyes again at the thought of her dead friends. It was her fault; she had led them in there. They shouldn't have tried that spell.

But then, she didn't have time to criticise her mistakes. She had to get her mom out of town and warn the others. Later, she could mourn, and then she could get revenge.

-I-E-H-

The room was dark and dingy, with no windows and a single light bulb that wasn't working properly. Instead of a bright glow, it lit the room dimly, allowing its occupants to see a little way in front of their faces. Only one person sat in the room at the moment, and she was supposed to be sleeping, but like usual, she was unable to gain the rest she needed. Just in case they attacked again.

It had been two years since the Initiative had exploded, and Adam had already taken the world. His demon hybrid army had spread quickly, killing, enslaving and taking control. Now there were only handfuls of survivors that had escaped torture and slavery, and they lived in underground bunkers, or deep in forests where the robot-demons hadn't quite invaded.

Buffy had escaped the day after it had all started. She'd packed up herself and her mom, taking a few irreplaceable items, and they had fled, driving until they heard that Sunnydale was overrun and some unknown threat had started to pollute the world. The Government, of course, had known exactly what it was but failed to stop it, falling instead to the command of the evil demonoids. The survivors had gone for shelter, finding others that had escaped and they fled underground. Eventually the televisions stopped broadcasting, followed by the radios. The last they heard was that Europe was taken.

Silence was their only company now. Electric signals couldn't be broadcast, because any cyborgs would pick up on them and find their base, destroying any they encountered. There were about two hundred people in this particular base, women, men and children. The base itself was located just outside of New York, which was overrun, a ruined city dominated by cyborgs and lesser demons who acted as minions.

Buffy sighed, picking up the letter she had received from her mother days earlier. They had separated, Buffy knowing she had to fight what demons she could. She'd left Joyce in New Orleans, hoping she could escape via the sea from there. Unfortunately it hadn't gone according to plan and Joyce had settled into the base, working with other survivors to, well, survive.

The Slayer herself had headed for LA, and located Faith. The other Slayer had busted out of jail, not quite rehabilitated, but unwilling to die. They had worked together with the survivors there, and then Buffy had left once more, heading from base to base, killing and helping others to fight the enemy. She hadn't made friends, worried that she would end up getting them killed again. She knew the leaders of each base, and kept in contact with a few via letter, the only safe way to communicate. Technology was monopolised by the demonoids, and it wasn't safe to use it anymore.

She'd been working in New York for a few months now, finding a way to bring the cyborgs down, or destroy their operations. Not a small feat, and even with the people working on it here, it was going to take time. It wasn't safe to venture outside often, what with the enemy searching for them constantly. Buffy went out to scavenge things, and to kill, but she always went alone. She couldn't risk getting anyone into trouble.

The small communities that had sprung up in the wake of the disaster were amazing, in their own way. Many residents had fled into underground tunnels, digging their way into the earth, hiding from the attackers with varying success. Many had brought animals, food and had cultivated a way of life underground. Buffy had seen the success of their efforts and was pleased that the human race had found a way.

Now it was just up to her to find a way to kill Adam and find the source of everything. There was always a weakness and she intended to exploit it.

A small alarm sound made her start and she jumped to her feet, discarding the letter on her bunk. She flung open the door to the corridor and ran out, her hand flying automatically to the machete she kept at her side. She headed for the main entrance, looking for someone to tell her what was going on. The alarm stopped and silence fell. The civilians had deserted the hallways, going into hiding, as they always did when the alarms went.

She felt someone grab her arm and she ducked into a small passage, coming face to face with the leader of the New York base. Lucas was in his forties, a stout man of military background. His greying hair betrayed his age but his kind eyes always shone with concern for the people he protected. He looked down at Buffy, his face serious.

'There's something outside. I'm sending a team to see what it is.' Buffy shook her head.

'Let me go.' She urged, waiting for his reply. Lucas always hesitated when Buffy wanted in on the action. Whilst the Slayer was now renowned, and all the big secrets were out, she was still seen by the majority as a twenty-one year old girl, who probably needed protecting. He narrowed his eyes and nodded, motioning for the others to hold back. Buffy slipped from the passage and opened the main doorway slowly, looking out into the dingy sewers that protected their home.

The darkness consumed her as she slipped out and sealed the entrance again. No one could see it properly from the outside, and a heavy door sealed it from the inside in case of a major attack. But this didn't seem like one of those. Something was out in the darkness; demon or human remained to be seen.

Buffy squinted, trying to ascertain what was out there. She could hear it moving around, quite a distance from her yet, but she still couldn't tell what it was. She stepped forward, and she felt it, crawling up her spine like a well recognised beat. It was a vampire and a cruel smile lit up her face. It had been a long time since she had bumped into a vampire. Adam seemed to dislike them as much as he disliked humans, finding them disadvantaged and weak. Their body parts were not good either, seeing as they just turned to dust when removed.

Briefly, Buffy wondered what Angel was up to. She knew he'd left LA and was still in America, but she hadn't heard from him or Faith in a while. She made a mental note to write to them and find out where they had gone.

The vampire was coming closer and she tensed, drawing the machete from its holding place at her side. This vampire was in for a world of hurt when it emerged from the dark to confront her.

She moved forward, frowning as the tingles intensified. She recognised this vampire. Maybe it was Angel. She frowned, and waited as the shadows moved. Whoever it was, was limping heavily and Buffy thought she could smell blood. Obviously the vampire had had a run in with the cyborgs.

A brown head bobbed into view in the dim light and Buffy raised the weapon again. Brown hair, shorter than Angel's, probably not him.

The vampire stopped, and Buffy heard him sniffing. Then he moved into the light and she dropped the machete to her side, frowning at the intruder.

In front of her, Spike stood, changed, and bloodied, smiling at her for a second before he hit the deck and passed out.

He opened his eyes, snarling at the dim light that invaded his vision. He tried to move but as he did, pain shot through his body and he cried out. Someone appeared at his side, concern on her pale face as she examined the gaping wound in his leg once more. As he stared at her, recognition fluttering through him, he saw the changes in the once cocky slayer. She was skinnier, and a lot paler, due to lack of Californian sunshine. Her hair was shorter, a dirtier blonde than it had once been. A long scar ripped its way down one side of her face and there was a haunted look in her eyes she hadn't possessed before. But then, it had been two years since they had last laid eyes on each other and the world was a different place.

'Surprised you didn't kill me.' He said; wincing as Buffy cleaned the wound he had reopened once more.

'You were hurt. Wouldn't have been a fair fight.' She whispered. He smiled in reply. She sat back and looked him over. 'You're different.' She stated; her voice louder.

'Yeah, well, everything is.' He sighed, running a hand through his hair. She looked at the new colour, frowning.

'No coat for one. And what's with the dark brown? I mean, not that the blonde was completely fetching, but…it's different.' She repeated and Spike smiled, pulling himself up into a seating position.

'Well, peroxide blonde is easier to spot in the dark. Figured, if I wanna stay alive, well, you get it.' He smiled and pulled out his lighter, fiddling with it.

'You quit?' She asked. He nodded.

'They stopped making them. What with the world going to pot and all.' He shrugged. 'Nasty habit anyway.' He looked up at her, frowning. 'Why am I still sitting here? Slayer? Shouldn't you be making with the threats and all by now?'

She shrugged, mimicking his earlier gesture. 'Just nice to see a familiar face. And you did save my life.' She said before standing and walking away.

'Take it the other colonists don't know I'm a vampire.' He said, looking around.

Buffy shook her head. 'I just told them you were like Angel.' He frowned again as she looked over her shoulder and smiled. 'I lied. Vampires are the least of our problems anyway.'

'Why aren't you more surprised that I'm here?' Spike asked cautiously. Buffy turned, leaning against the wall as she looked at him hard. A smile caught the corners of her mouth and she pointed at a letter on a table across the room.

'Mom told me she'd seen you. Told me all about your adventures in Louisiana. How you're a good boy now.' She walked over to him. 'Even though your chip stopped working.'

Spike shrugged. 'They don't like us either you know. And your mum is a decent lady. Plus…it's a lot harder to get blood now. Better to work with humans on the off chance they'll help me.' He said, looking up at her. 'After I got away from Sunnydale…things changed. As you might have noticed. It was better to help than to be hated by everyone.'

Buffy nodded, sitting beside him. 'I get that. Mom also said you felt bad. About leaving us behind. I don't know why, seeing as I threatened you with bodily harm if you didn't leave.'

'Yeah, well…' He shrugged. 'Guess you got to me.' He looked away and sighed. 'I came up with news anyway. They've found where he is.'

Buffy's eyes widened. 'They have?'

'Angel and Faith, they're over in Washington. Turns out the big pile of circuits made himself a home at the Pentagon. All that technology…it's a veritable theme park for them ain't it.' He looked at her intently. 'I came to tell you. As soon as this leg heals, I'm heading over to the base there, to join them.'

Buffy nodded. 'I take it you intended for me to come with you?' She asked.

'Doesn't have to be with me, but that was the plan. Have all the big guns there.' He said and Buffy smiled.

'Thank you Spike.' She stood up. 'I'll go see if I can scare up some blood for you.' He nodded and she smiled again. 'I thought you were dead you know.' He nodded again and she leant down, taking his hand. 'Guess I never thought I'd be so happy to see you.'

With that she left the room, a look of shock on Spike's face as she did so, her words echoing in his mind.

Hours passed, and when Buffy returned, Spike was still awake, sitting on the bed with a thoughtful look on his face. He smiled at her as she came in and set a plate down on the table. It had various foodstuffs on it; most likely for her consumption, but one package she picked up and threw at him. He caught it deftly and looked at the labelling. It was expired human blood and he smiled gratefully.

'I swiped it from the lab.' She said, pulling up a chair that looked to be on its way out. She sat down gingerly and started eating the meagre meal she had scrounged for herself. Money was of no use anymore, seeing as the shops no longer existed. Trade was the currency now, but Buffy was lucky in the fact that most people recognised her as the Slayer and willingly gave her some of their rations. It was never much, but she had learned to survive on it.

Spike ripped into the package, finishing it in seconds. He didn't vamp out, but Buffy could see the struggle to keep control on his demon side. She frowned and waited for him to put the empty bag to the side before pushing her own plate away.

'Why are you fighting it?' She asked and he shrugged.

'I guess it's easier. Most people know I'm a vampire, but they know I'm one of the good guys. Doesn't mean my true nature doesn't freak them out.'

Buffy's frown deepened. 'That can't be good for you.'

Spike shook his head, avoiding eye contact with her. 'Most of the time, when I'm travelling outside, away from humans, I just let it out. Easier to pick up anything dangerous, or catch a rabbit when I'm desperate for food. But as soon as I sense a human, I have to keep myself under control. The chip went, Buffy, but my instincts are still there. I'm still a demon.' His startling blue eyes connected with hers and she saw something in them she hadn't seen before.

Nodding in acknowledgment of his statement, she turned back to her food and spoke quietly again. 'We'll wait until you've healed enough, then we'll start out. Could take us a while to get to Washington. At least a week.'

'We'll have to travel by night; can use the tunnels in places.' He said, twiddling his thumbs as he waited for a reply. The tunnels he referred to were used by human survivors to travel around, mostly old sewer systems the demonoids couldn't access. Some of their minions could, which still made them dangerous. Buffy murmured her agreement. Silence befell them for a few moments, before he cleared his throat. 'I don't understand.'

'Understand what?' Buffy asked, pushing the plate away, leaving half the food uneaten.

'This.' He said simply. 'You, not wanting me dead. What you said before. If it hadn't been for me, this may never have happened.' He saw her jaw tighten and she shook her head vehemently.

'No. That isn't true. You tried to help in the end. Not your fault the spell didn't work.' Sadness tinged her tone and he stared at her. He needed to know why he was still alive.

'I helped him.'

'Maybe.' She shrugged. 'But it wasn't exactly a big deal. I would have gone down there anyway. And in the end, you tried to help me.' She repeated. 'You got me out, saved my life, even when you didn't have to. And now, you're still helping. Mom told me what you did in New Orleans. How you helped them fight back; helped them build their shelters. And you're doing it without the chip and without a soul.'

He stared at her in slight shock. She was right, to a certain degree, but it still didn't explain why _she_ didn't want him dead. If it was in return for not letting her die, he could understand, but this was a different Buffy to the one he had left. She moved from her chair and sat next to him on the bed, sighing. He didn't speak, but could sense she probably had more to say.

'You didn't let me die.' She whispered. 'And I've spent the last two years wondering why.'

Spike looked away. 'Should only take me a couple of days to heal, then we can get moving.' Buffy stood up abruptly and frowned at him, raising her hand. She pointed a finger at him.

'No. You don't change the subject. I want to know. Now.'

He looked at her with those eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Her posture remained rigid. There wasn't any way he was getting out of this. Buffy wanted answers, to stop her going mad at night when she had nothing else to think about.

'I spent so long trying to figure it out myself.' He sighed, and she relaxed, watching him carefully. 'Dru had the answer all along.' Buffy frowned. 'Somewhere along the line…I stopped hating you. Stopped wanting you dead. Slayers are tough Buffy, but they all die – they all give up. The girl in China, she let go of an obligation she had never asked for. The one in New York died to protect someone else.' He looked at her sternly, glad that she didn't seem angry he had brought up her dead predecessors. 'Except you…I've met a lot of Slayers, watched a lot of them and there's always something there, bringing them down. None of them compare to you. You've lost your friends, the worlds gone to hell, and you're still fighting, still strong. Still alive. It's not cause you're the slayer. Not just that.' He looked down at the floor briefly and then let his eyes drift back to her, a small smile on the corner of his mouth. 'It's because you're you, Buffy. You're one hell of a Slayer and one hell of a woman.'

He went quiet and Buffy watched him, silent tears started to trickle down her cheeks. He frowned and got up, wincing slightly at the pain in his leg. He stood in front of her and raised his hand, wiping her tears away.

'I'm sorry, pet. Don't cry.'

Buffy shook her head and looked up at him, smiling slightly. 'No. Thank you.' She suddenly threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. He tensed and then relaxed, wrapping his own arms around her. Her tight grip made him glad he didn't have to breathe. But she didn't hold on long, letting go and looking at him again.

'When did it change?' She asked, tentatively. 'Was it the spell?' He knew which spell she was referring to. Red's Will-Be-Done spell, the one that had ended with Buffy and Spike thinking they were in love and getting married. He looked back on it with fond memories; being so completely in love and belonging somewhere for those few precious hours had meant the world to him. Pity it was just a spell. But that hadn't been what had changed him.

Spike shook his head. 'Before that.' He smiled slightly. 'Guess I always respected you. Kept foiling my plans and all.' He sighed, reaching up to brush a strand of hair from her face. 'But I could never touch what you are.' His voice was soft and Buffy blushed as she raised her hand to brush his away.

'I'm not that great.' He took her hand in mid air and smiled, this time fully, that look in his eyes returning. Buffy stared at him.

'You are.' He whispered.

It seemed like an eternity passed between them and she leant forward, kissing him hard, caught in the moment. He seemed stunned at first, and then kissed back, their mouths battling for superiority.

Then she pulled away, her cheeks flushed. Her hand flew to her lips and she stepped back, looking at him apologetically. He looked at her, his gaze not wavering as she blushed.

'I'm so sorry.' She said; her voice a whisper. And then she ran from the room. Spike stood alone, frowning. He knew that wasn't rejection. That was something else. Maybe she felt she had overstepped the boundaries. The frown melted into a smile as he carefully sat back on the bed, closing his eyes.

Whatever it was, it would fuel a few good dreams.

-I-E-H-

If there was one thing she had noticed in the two of days of waiting for her vampire counterpart to heal, it was that he had changed. Somewhere along the line, Spike had become a patron of the good, moving beyond the soulless limits Buffy now realised had been imposed upon him before. The way everyone had told him he was nothing but a soulless evil thing. He had just ignored it and done what was right. Whilst it could have been put down to adapting to new circumstances, with or without the chip, he was purely one of the white hats. Yet it wasn't just that which had changed about the formerly peroxide vampire.

His whole demeanour seemed to have taken a different angle. Essentially he was still the same person, quieter maybe, a depth of pain in his eyes that registered with a shock when she noticed it. He carried himself differently; the Spike she had battled before had always been spry and lithe, but had always announced his arrival with a stealthy swagger. Said swagger was now gone, and he moved like a shadow, silent and deadly, almost crouched. She'd caught him training in the room she'd left him in, working on the strength in his leg. He was thinner, and his body language was so tense, he seemed on edge. Waiting for something to jump out at him.

She knew the chip had gone before he got there. Her mother had told her. And she'd managed to wheedle the story out of him whilst they were sitting in companionable silence the night before, all mention of the mistaken kiss the night before banned, or so she hoped. She couldn't deny it had been pleasant, and she probably wouldn't have minded a repeat performance, but she couldn't shake the feeling that it was better off ignored.

'_So how'd you get it out?' _

He had looked at her funny when she said that. Then a look of realisation had crossed his face and he tapped his head, smiling thinly.

'_I didn't.'_

She'd gotten confused then, looking at him strangely. He must have picked up on it because he had stood, stretching and inspecting his wound. Then he looked at her with those fathomless eyes and smiled.

'_It's still in there. Buried. Just stopped working.'_

Buffy had frowned, her first thought being "why". He had sat back down, his gaze travelling to one of his boots as he pulled absently at the shoelace. Buffy had sensed an explanation coming on and hadn't spoken. It was a few minutes before he finally related it to her.

'_Was in Des Moines, escorting some civilians, bout two months after the Hellmouth imploded. Didn't even notice the bloody thing wasn't working, I was so careful.' A dry laugh followed, practically void of humour. 'Anyway, we'd almost made it to hideout on the edge of the city, when I lose all my stealth and trip, making a great lummox of myself. Landed on a little girl, whose ankle got crushed under my somewhat heavier bulk. Needless to say, she starts wailing and we all run for it, hoping no cyborgs heard. I didn't even realise until the morning, just as I'm going to sleep. No pain.'_

She'd listened to him, and then he had told her he knew what had happened. The chip hadn't simply stopped working. Someone had turned it off. And it didn't take two guesses to find out who. It was only about five minutes later when Buffy actually thought to ask a question she wouldn't have taken five seconds to pounce on two years previous.

'_Why didn't you just start massacring?'_

Silence had greeted her question and when she'd found herself brave enough to look up into his face, he had been silently contemplating the answer he was about to give.

'_Can't say I didn't think about it. I'm a vampire, Buffy, it's what I am, what I will always be. The temptation is always there.' A long sigh accompanied his statement, and it punctuated the air poignantly. 'But then, I set foot outside that door, wandered around the tunnels, saw families, little kiddies, playing __with sticks cause they couldn't have toys. There were smiles on their faces. The whole world had gone to shit and I'm supposed to dancing about it. Revelling in my evil ways. Someone had turned my chip off, yeah. Probably that big git wants me to start killing left, right and bloody everywhere. But this is me. I don't like being used. Never have. I hated that chip, but guess what? Things change. I remember telling Angel that we couldn't, that demons didn't change. But I did. I looked at those humans, those people that were supposed to be food, and something cracked. These people were better than me. An apocalypse was happening all around them and they were carrying on. Surviving. Being something other than dead.' _He'd smiled then, directly at her. _'Look at me. I got a new respect for Happy Meals.'_

She'd smiled then, in spite of herself. Then she'd seen how tired he looked, how weary his face was. His whole body sagged, not tense for once, but only through the sheer exhaustion. He was pushing his body to the limit to heal in time for the upcoming journey. And he needed rest. Buffy had left him, promising her return in a few hours. Which was now.

As she hesitated outside the door, she'd remembered something else that had changed about the vampire, other than his overall attitude and his hair colour.

He was calling her by her name. Everywhere she went, she was the Slayer. That was who she was recognised as. But he had turned up, and he saw Buffy. The once quippy and bouncy Californian girl with a tormented past. He hadn't been using her calling as her name, not as much as he used to. And it made her feel like there was something he wasn't quite letting on.

But now wasn't the time. She could ask him on the way to Washington. It was a long trip to the capital, one they had no choice but to cover on foot. She'd collected some weapons, small but effective tools to help them. Food was something they'd have to find on the way. Spike had mentioned his diet of animals before, so she was hoping he could survive on them for now.

The door opened easily in her strong grasp and she slipped inside, seeing that the vampire was still asleep on the small bunk. He'd contorted himself into an unusual position in his sleep. One leg was curled under his body, his right arm hugging his abdomen. The other arm was cradling his head, which was buried into an old pillow, whilst the other leg was propped up against the wall. She noticed on closer inspection, as she held back a giggle at the cuteness of his positioning, that the leg propped up on the wall was the previously injured one. She took a closer look, careful not to disturb him, and saw that whilst it was easy to see where the wound had been, the skin had healed over it, leaving a pinkish scar, which would fade with time.

Buffy frowned, wondering when he had taken the bandage off. Then she saw it, tangled around his other foot. She smiled, tugging it free, her smile widening when the vampire murmured something in his sleep and rolled onto his front, one arm dangling over the edge of the bed. She watched him for a second, marvelling at how normal he looked. If he'd been breathing, he would have passed for human. Except for the fact that he was unnaturally pale.

She put the weapons down the table quietly, turning away from him as she sorted through them. Silence surrounded her and she ignored it, like she always did. Until a soft growl pierced the air. Buffy span, the slayer in her alert and her hand automatically flew to the machete at her side. Then she looked back at Spike. His face had contorted to that of the demon and he was moving, although his eyes were still shut. He muttered something and lashed out, his fist connecting with the wall. Cement showered down on him, but he didn't wake.

He was having a nightmare.

Buffy rushed to his side, sitting down and gripping both shoulders. She shook him slightly and got no response, only the thrashing of his legs against an unreal foe.

'Spike.' She said loudly, frowning as she shook his shoulders again. He bolted upright and she jumped back as his demon visage melted away, and the blue of his eyes met her hazel ones. Unshed tears glistened at her and her frown deepened. He was still shaking, and she couldn't help but wonder what had gotten him so frightened. For some reason, him being frightened terrified her – he was William the Bloody, which should mean that not a lot scared him.

'Are you okay?' She asked, searching his face for anything, anything to reassure her. He nodded, swallowing hard. She nodded, accepting his answer, even though his body betrayed him. She stood, turning to the table to grab the blood she had brought with her for him. When she faced him again, his body had stopped shaking and he was tense again, his body closing off all emotions. The tears in his eyes were gone, and a stoic demeanour she hadn't sent the likes of since Oz was all that appeared on his face. He took the blood from her gratefully and opened it, eating quickly, as if ashamed of her seeing him feed. Buffy didn't watch and turned away, beginning to talk, as if it would clear the image of a terrified Spike from her mind.

'I got weapons. Just small ones, so we don't go into this empty handed. And I spoke to Lucas, the one in charge here. He said the best route for us would be through Philadelphia and Baltimore.' She turned back, seeing he had finished. He handed her back the empty packet, and she tossed it onto the table without regard.

'That'd probably be the best idea. Probably the least overrun route, as well.' He sighed, running a hand through his short unkempt hair. He would do anything for a decent shower. It was rare he could ever get one anymore, and Buffy looked like she could do with a good hour under a hot spray. Wash the past away for a bit. Wash that nightmare away. He was glad she hadn't mentioned it. He didn't want to discuss it with anyone, let alone her. But he could tell she was spooked by his behaviour. Maybe one day he could tell her.

'When do you want to leave?' She asked, raising an eyebrow in his direction. He looked up, his hand dropping to the side again. The vampire shrugged.

'Nightfall would be best. Even if we use the tunnels, still be better to go at night.' He waited for a reply and felt rather irritated when she smiled at him knowingly.

'I'm assuming your body clock is on the blink, cause it is night. Sun set half hour ago.' He scowled at her and she giggled. 'It's okay. Everyone's a bit wonky. But if we go now, we can reach the outskirts of New Jersey by morning. Cover at least twenty miles.' She waited for his agreement which came quickly. He stood up, stretching, and then slipped his feet into his boots. 'You kicked your bandages off.' She said, pointing at his healed wound. 'But it looks better, so I'll take it you don't need them anymore.'

He inspected the leg himself and then nodded, stooping to tie his laces. He rolled his jeans leg back down, covering the gash, and then stood straight, grabbing the old jacket he had arrived in off of the chair. Buffy looked at it, noting the holes in it. The jacket was short, faded black and made of plain material. It was a far cry from the jacket he used to sport on a daily basis.

'What happened to the duster?' She asked, and he looked at her sharply.

'Lost it.' Something shone in his eyes but she decided not to press. When he felt like opening up to her, he might. Not that he hadn't done so already. She just felt like there was more to this story. But whatever it was, she had over a week to get it out of him before they arrived at their destination.

He seemed keen to get on as they walked through the complex, ignoring stares from younger members of the community who knew Spike was a vampire. He was still a character they were wary of and as they approached the exit tunnels, Lucas stood before them, eyeing the two cautiously. His gaze lingered on the vampire for a moment before he turned to Buffy.

'You have everything you need?' he was referring to food and weapons, and she knew it. She wouldn't need anything else. It was May and the weather was surprisingly warm outside. She nodded in reply and he smiled, enveloping her in a hug. It was unprofessional, but she knew he was sending her off with everyone's hopes. The older man reminded her of Giles too much sometimes.

He released her and nodded at the vampire. 'Good luck, both of you. Hope you can bring the bastard down.'

'So do we, mate.' Spike cocked his head and headed out of the door, slipping quietly into the dark of the tunnels. Buffy threw one last look around what had been her home for a few months now, and then followed the vampire, her eyes adjusting to the dark as she stepped into the tunnels. Spike was waiting for her, and she looked up at him, seeing the hesitant smile that graced his face.

'Come on luv. We got a hell of a journey ahead of us.'


	2. Chapter 2

AU from Primeval: As Buffy faces off with Adam, the spell is performed but the demons break through. Buffy gets distracted and tries to save her friends, but fails. Spike gets her out and they battle their way out of the Initiative. Adam assembles his army and the world is doomed…or so it seems.

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

* * *

Two hours had passed since they had left the compound, and Spike was in front of her, scouting the way, his keen sense of smell keeping alert for any demons or otherwise. They hadn't spoken since their departure, and Buffy had spent most of that time thinking of a good way to start a conversation. He had seemed intent on keeping quiet, but she knew at some point he would get bored. He had to.

He was Spike. And Spike, by definition, got bored with things quickly.

But time was still passing, and he still wasn't making a sound. She was keeping her eyes firmly on him in case she lost him, and she had more than once noticed the ripple of his muscles under his clothes. Whilst he was skinnier than he used to be, his muscles were by no means diminished, and she found herself wandering into territory her mind should not be taking her. She frowned to herself and coughed, clearing her throat. The tunnels didn't smell overly pleasant and she could only imagine how bad it must be for the vampire in front of her.

He stopped and waited for her to catch up. She knew she was blushing from the direction her thoughts had been taking, but he didn't comment, instead pointing at the wall ahead of them. The passage split two different ways here, and unfortunately, no one had been kind enough to stick a sign post pointing the right way. Buffy looked up at him and noticed for the first time that he was vamped out.

'You okay?' She asked and he frowned.

'What d'ya mean by that?' H asked and she pointed at his face.

'You're all grr.'

He looked confused for a minute and then realised what she meant. He shook his head and smiled a little, which was always odd to see on his demon mask. 'No, it's just easier to see and stuff.'

'My eyes kinda adjusted whilst I was living down here.'

'I just wanna keep alert to everything. Don't want anything jumping out on us.' He said, looking away. Buffy sighed. He was still as tense as he had been earlier, but she didn't want to comment. She knew she'd have to get it out of him sometime or another.

'So which way?' She asked.

'I don't know. I didn't come this way getting here. But then, I'm not entirely sure how I made it to your camp after I left Pennsylvania. Those demons jumped me, and I just…wandered.'

'Good thing I found you.'

'Yeah.' He said, softly, watching her intently. Then he shrugged and looked upwards, spying a manhole in the top of the sewer. 'How about I go up there and see if I can, well, see anything.' Buffy frowned. He frowned right back, and started towards the ladder. 'It's the only way we're gonna know where we are going.'

She nodded and watched him climb up. He opened the cover quietly and looked out, peering around. Buffy looked on from below, her gaze hitting the one place she shouldn't have been looking and she looked away quickly, blushing, trying to keep her mind out of the gutter. Mind you, she was currently standing in a sewer, so if she wanted an excuse…

_No. Bad Buffy._ She scolded herself. It had been so long since she'd…with anyone…and Spike was undeniably a hottie. But she wouldn't use him. Not like that. No matter how big she thought his muscles were.

He dropped back down and pointed to their left. 'Its that way. Up there's the main road outta the city and I gotta tell you, it doesn't get any creepier than a deserted road with deserted cars.'

Buffy didn't acknowledge what he said, her mind still focused on other things. He noticed and snapped his fingers in her face.

'Earth to Buffy.' He said, and she started, looking at him. Her face was flushed for the second time and he frowned. 'You okay?' he asked, showing more concern than he would have liked. Buffy looked at him and nodded.

'Which way?' She asked.

'Left.' He said and she smiled brightly, moving past him. As she did so, he froze, an unmistakable scent wafting to his senses and he suddenly felt like a man starved. He stared after the Slayer in confusion, feeling his own reaction to her presence. What in the hell was she getting all worked up for? Not like they were in a particularly nice place. And it was him.

_Don't forget that kiss, mate._ He smiled, remembering her lips on his. God, what he wouldn't do for another round of that. Of her. She was so fucking…

Now he'd gone and done it. Walking around with a hard on wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, especially when your jeans were tight. But he had no choice now. Couldn't exactly relieve the tension with the slayer five feet in front of him.

'Spike?' Her voice pulled him out of his reverie and he pulled his coat around his hips, hoping it would cover his pride. He could only pray that her eyes hadn't adjusted too much. 'You coming?' She asked and he walked to catch up with her, his hand buried deep in his pockets.

'Yeah, I'm coming.' He said, frowning as another dirty innuendo formed in his mind. Buffy noticed the frown, but didn't call him on it as they moved on side by side.

Silence consumed the air around them again and Buffy sighed, looking straight ahead. She could feel the tension falling off of Spike in waves and she desperately wanted to start a conversation with him to break the quiet. But he was focused straight ahead of them, his eyes not gracing her once. And again, she thought about the change in him.

_It's like he's a different vampire._

'So how'd you lose your coat?' she asked and he frowned. Okay, maybe that hadn't been the best conversation starter she could have come up with but she needed something. They'd been walking for two hours, and whilst she wasn't tired, she was immensely bored.

The vampire regarded her for a second and then sighed, a strange habit for someone who didn't need to.

'I gave it to someone. She was cold.' Buffy nodded, feeling unexpected jealousy flare inside her gut at his explanation. _Come on, like he wouldn't do that for you?_

He spoke again. 'Not like I needed it. Don't feel the heat or cold much.'

'Is that why you're huddling in your coat as if it's snowing?' She asked and he looked away sheepishly. He dropped his hands from his pockets and she smiled in triumph. He scowled at her, thanking the gods that her question had prompted the loss of a painful erection.

_Yeah, now just keep your mind out of the filth and we won't have any more uncomfortable situations. _He scowled again, this time at his own thoughts. The Slayer fidgeted as she walked and he looked at her, sensing her boredom.

'I'm sure we'll come across something to kill soon, Buffy.' He said. She looked at him, with a hint of shock in her gaze.

'It's not that.' The Slayer replied, and then stopped, before carrying on walking again. 'Actually no, it is partly that, but I just…can we talk?'

He seemed taken aback by her outburst. 'Talk? Talk about what?'

'Anything. Our adventures. Funny stories. Jokes. Why you're so different.' The last suggestion would have knocked him off his feet if he had been a human. Of course, he hadn't hidden his changes, the things that had happened to him had cause everything in him to be review and revamped, pardoning the pun. But he could honestly admit, he never thought Buffy would care enough to notice everything. She'd noticed a few things, as indicated by their earlier conversations, but he didn't realise she'd seen the true extent.

'Lot's happened, Slayer.'

She looked at him sharply. There it was. That infamous nickname. Yeah, a lot had happened. But he was a vampire. Shouldn't have affected him. Not like this.

'How'd you get that scar?' he asked, gesturing to her cheek.

She held up her machete. 'From the guy I stole this from. Well, the demon. Ugly guy, had all these piercings. He was one of theirs.' Spike winced at the venom in her voice. 'Adam sent him after me. I killed him, but not before he got in a lucky blow with a pocket knife. It just never healed properly.' She raised her other hand to trace the scar. 'I hate it.'

'I think it adds character.' He said, gesturing to his own scar on his eyebrow. 'My first slayer gave me this. Enchanted blade or something. But it's part of my persona now. Don't think I'd like it if it disappeared.' Buffy looked at him for a long hard moment. He knew what she was thinking. 'Doesn't make you any less beautiful.' He said, his voice low. Part of him hoped she didn't hear, but the look on her face told him she had. Her expression softened and she smiled gently.

'Been a while since I heard that.' She whispered.

'Well, it's a good thing I'm here then ain't it?' he puffed himself up, smiling broadly. 'I got my uses.'

She smacked him playfully on the arm. 'Suppose you have, you big lummox.'

'I'm not that big.' He said, then cocked his head thoughtfully. 'Well, I am in some departments…' The blush from earlier returned and he smiled at her reaction.

'You're disgusting.' She stuck her tongue out at him. He chuckled.

'Been a while, has it slayer?' He asked and she nodded.

'Hasn't been anyone…not since…' She fell quiet and Spike flinched inwardly. _You stupid git._

'Riley.' He said, refraining from his usual nicknames.

'There are rumours he's still alive, but he's one of them now. I couldn't save him.' She looked away, not wanting to show her weakness. Spike reached out, touching her arm gently.

'You tried pet. And that's more than some of us can say.'

Silence covered them again, before she looked at him, mirth dancing in her eyes once more.

'What about you then, Mr. I'm-So-Great?' She grinned. 'When was the last time you got any?'

Spike scowled at her. 'Harmony.'

'Huh?' Buffy looked at him.

'Hasn't been anyone, pet. Not since I rolled back into ole Sunnyhell. Not since it all kicked off.'

'What happened to Dru?' She asked, regretting it as soon as she saw the pain on his face.

'She died. Adam doesn't rightly like the vampires of this world either.' He grimaced, focusing on their path. Rats were crawling along the walls now, and Spike found himself wondering how the wildlife of the world had not succumbed to Adam's evil intentions. But then again, there were some places that even demonoids might not venture. He'd heard tales of some surviving at sea in captured cruise ships. But then, they were only tales and most likely told to keep children's hopes alive.

Another thing he could admire the human race for. Their resilience. The way they clung to hope. The vampires had nothing – they had been all but wiped out by Adam. He hadn't encountered another in months. The only one he knew for definite was still alive, was Peaches.

He realised Buffy was talking again, about her mom, and how things were going in Louisiana. '-of course they had to leave central New Orleans. It's becoming impossible to escape by the coast anymore and most of us seemed to have flocked underground. The demons I encounter all work for them. Minions. Lower creatures. Adam wants us all dead.'

'That's true.' Spike agreed. 'But I'm sure we'll find a way. We know where he is hiding now; we just need to formulate a plan. Peaches and Psycho-bint are already in Washington, from what little communication I've received. They got a whole merry men thing going on or something.'

'Merry men?' Buffy queried and then made a face of realisation. 'Robin Hood. Kevin Costner. Got ya.'

'Although, I always found Men in Tights far funnier.' Spike grinned to himself.

Buffy stopped suddenly and grabbed the other, frowning deeply. 'I got tinglies.'

Spike sniffed the air none-too-graciously and frowned, his golden eyes glittering with anticipation. 'It's a demon.'

'Darn. I was so hoping for a vampire. Gives unrest to my cause, what with all you lot dead. Can't be a vampire slayer with no vampires to slay.'

'Hopefully, this one will be big enough and ugly enough for the both of us.' Spike ignored the vampire comment and hushed her, turning to creep along the sewer wall, shifting the bag hanging from his shoulder. Buffy could almost feel the anticipation crawling along her skin, and knew it was most likely the same for him. The rush of the fight, the adrenaline, the mind numbing power thrumming through her veins. Except his veins didn't thrum.

She followed him, waiting for his signal. And he did something completely unexpected. He straightened and turned to her.

'We're not killing this one.'

'You said it was a demon.'

'It's not even big enough for one of us.' He stepped aside and showed her their prey. It was a demon, humanoid in shape except blue, but only a child and it looked up at them with fearful black eyes. 'S'alright mate. You get to live another day.'

'What if he's working for them?'

'A child? Buffy…'

'But he might….' The child yelped as she stepped forward, shielding itself with its arms.

Spike grabbed her and held her back, stepped in front of her and dropping to his knees. 'It's okay. She ain't gonna hurt you. And neither am I. Where are you from?' The vampire asked, taking in the boy's dishevelled appearance, the rags he wore as clothes.

'The camp.' He whimpered, looking at the vampire again. 'You're a vampire.' Spike smiled as Buffy stood behind him and hissed.

'There aren't any demons at the camp.' Spike looked over his shoulder at her.

'We've come about ten miles, Buffy. Moving continuously. Maybe there's another camp.' He looked back to the boy. 'Where is it?'

The child pointed down a side tunnel. 'We hide from everyone. The humans and the bad robots upstairs. Because they all hate us.'

'They don't all hate you, mate. Just gotta be careful is all.'

'We're the good demons. My uncle told me so.' The child seemed a little more relaxed now, but it was obvious to Spike that he was still wary of the Slayer glowering at him over his shoulder.

'Why don't you show us this camp?' Spike asked and the boy hesitated. 'It's up to you. But we're here to help. Going to kill the 'bot in charge.' The child smiled, tugging Spike's sleeve and indicating he should follow him. As the two followed the child along the tunnels, he talked excitedly.

'You're really going to kill the demon king?' He asked and Spike grinned at the nickname.

'Demon king?' Buffy asked and the vampire flashed a grin at her.

'It's what some of the survivors call him. Although, I'd call him more of a tyrant than a king.' The Brit clarified and Buffy nodded, focusing on their small guide. He darted into a passageway and she followed, behind Spike. She was still pondering how it was she hadn't heard of this place. But then, the majority of humans had classified demons on a whole as evil after the world had gotten taken over.

'Down here.' The boy started running ahead and the two kept up to his pace, stopping when he did, in front of a solid door. The child knocked on it and after a few seconds, it opened, revealing a larger scale demon, the same breed by the look of it. He glared down at the boy, a frown tinting his face. Then he spotted the two travellers and his gaze narrowed. He sniffed the air.

'Crem, you brought home a human and a vampire.' He stepped out further into the sewer. 'Are you mad? We are trying to stay _hidden_.' Spike stepped forward at that.

'We came across him by accident. We don't mean any harm.' He raised his hands in a non-threatening gesture. 'Name's Spike.'

Recognition flashed across the demon's face and he stood back, opening the door. Crem darted between his legs and disappeared. 'My apologies. I didn't know it was someone so well known. Especially someone who helps the cause.' Buffy shot Spike a confused look, knowing she had to dig an explanation out of him later. The vampire ignored her and stepped forward, shaking hands with the large blue demon.

'S'alright mate. Can't be too careful nowadays.'

'My name is D'Ran. I am in charge of this settlement.' He peered past Spike at the small blonde, who was fidgeting uncomfortably. 'Who is your companion?'

'The Slayer.' Spike said, flippantly. The demon tensed and frowned. 'The Good One.'

Buffy frowned at him and then remembered Faith and her indiscriminate killings. Buffy knew there were shades of grey in her world; not all demons were die hard killers. The demon smiled warmly.

'Buffy, I presume. I have heard of the other. Needless to say, you are both very welcome.' Spike motioned for her to follow him as they stepped inside the complex. She kept close, her hand seeking his in a gesture of comfort. Spike smiled to himself, but thought nothing more of it. If it made her feel better, he wouldn't pick at it.

'We set up this camp away from the humans. This whole cyborgs business has made them skittish of us and personally I don't blame them. Adam has given us a bad name. It's hard to tell who is on who's side, so it's better to be careful. They don't even know we are here, and it's likely they won't ever find out.' D'Ran spoke softly, but loud enough for the two guests to hear as they were taken through the complex. Buffy looked around warily, seeing the similarities between this and the other human camp. Families of demons, mostly humanoid looking, some with spikes, some with scales, but all looking equally frightened and vulnerable.

'You had much trouble?' Spike asked, distracting Buffy from her inspection.

D'Ran nodded. 'They keep trying to recruit. But we are all peaceful; we have no interest in megalomaniacal plans. We just want to…'

'Survive.' Buffy supplied, her eyes connecting with Spike's for a brief second. He smiled and squeezed her hand reassuringly.

The larger demon nodded. 'I have heard stories. That they are trying to defeat Adam in Washington. Volunteers are leaving every day to join the fight. I assume that's where you are headed.'

'Yeah.' Buffy said, her courage to speak increasing. The demons were no different from the humans she lived with. They just wanted to live was all. She was seeing many of the strengths of her own species in them. 'Seeing as this whole thing is my fault, I guess I should be part of the backlash.'

Spike frowned, as did D'Ran. 'This isn't your fault pet. You tried. Again and again. You lost all your friends and damn near lost your family in the process.'

'You sound like you're far to harsh on yourself. Being the Slayer is not an easy calling. Going up against Adam alone could not have been easy; as it will not be going with an army.' The demon smiled and Buffy nodded.

'I guess.' She shrugged and Spike glowered at her, a reprimand on his tongue. D'Ran coughed and he stilled, but the look in his eyes told her she was going to get a mouthful later.

'I can give you a room if you wish. I'm afraid we don't have much space, but there's a bed and a wash basin. We managed to connect to a nearby reservoir for water. It's not a great set up but it's good enough for survival.' Spike thanked the larger demon as they came to stop outside a room similar to the one they had been sleeping in the past three nights. Buffy walked inside straight away, as the two males stood outside the door.

'If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask. A fighter against the cyborgs is a friend here.' The demon smiled and Spike thanked him once more before stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him.

Silence greeted him as Buffy stood across the room, checking her hair in a worn mirror. Spike cleared his throat and she turned, looking at him in surprise.

'What?' She asked, her tone a little harsh. He pointed to the bed.

'You wanna take that?'

'It's up to you.' She said, turning back to the mirror. He sighed and sat down on it, needed a break from using his healing leg.

'No, it's up to you. You're the boss. I don't do good with decisions. If you remember.' He smirked at his own comment and Buffy looked back at him over her shoulder, a sly smile creeping across her face.

'You be okay on the floor?' She asked, leaning against the sink on her hands. He nodded and she smiled gratefully. 'Okay. It's not too cold in here, so we should be fine. Rest up for now, gather some information and so on.' She seemed pleased with her plan and moved to sit next to him on the bed. She bent down, pulling the heavy boots she wore off of her feet and rubbing her soles through her socks.

It came as a shock when Spike moved and knelt in front of her, taking the offending limb in hand and removing her socks. He began rubbing his thumbs over her flesh expertly. She tensed and then relaxed, her back sagging against the wall. She looked down on him with a slightly confused look.

'Don't they…Ooo….smell?'

He grinned. 'Lil bit. But your feet are probably aching from all the walking. Plus I'm sure those boots aren't the right size.'

'None of my clothes are. But I make do with what I can scavenge.' She shrugged. 'Mmm…that is so gooood. Where did you learn how to do that?'

'Just picked it up.' He stared at her foot intently, one hand supporting her ankle whilst he worked on the arch of her delicate appendage. She closed her eyes and he smiled, knowing exactly how to hit the right spot. And if it kept her sweet, even better.

'So how come D'Ran has…mmm…heard of you?' She asked, her eyes still shut. Spike glanced up at her briefly before concentrating back on the job at hand.

'Not all the civilians I escorted were human. Everyone needs saving, Buffy. And you know as well as I do, not all demons are evil killing machines.' He stated the last bit with slight venom in his voice and her eyes snapped open, staring at him, her gaze hard. He squirmed as she pulled her foot out of his grasp and sat up, ducking her head so her eyes were level with his.

'I don't think you're an evil killing machine anymore, Spike. I can see you've changed. And I'm sorry for all the crap I put you through in Sunnydale.' She waited for a response, seeing the conflicted emotions in the ocean of his eyes.

He stood up, and looked down at her. 'Why don't you wash up and stuff luv? I'm going to go scout some food and then maybe we'll see about finishing that massage.' He turned, leaving the room and a stunned Buffy to her suddenly cold feet. She frowned, pulling her socks back on as protection against the cold stone floor, then tip toed over to the basin again. She ran some water and splashed it on her face.

Maybe when Spike came back, he'd stop avoiding her and actually open up.

-I-E-H-

By the time he had returned to the room, his head a jumble of thoughts and dreams, the Slayer was curled up at one end of the bunk, her eyes closed tightly against the light. She'd covered herself with her jacket, her legs pulled up under her body to keep the warmth in and the cold out. Spike stood by the bed after he'd shut the door, watching her sleep. It had been an hour or so since he had left the room to search for food, and she must have been tired. They hadn't been travelling for long, but they'd made good time, covering the first twelve miles quickly. They needed to keep moving though, and he was going to suggest they head off tomorrow in the afternoon. If they had a couple of extra hours, they might be able to make it short of Trenton by sunrise the next day.

In order for them to do that, she had to eat and he wasn't keen on waking her up. She'd seemed exhausted when they had arrived, and whilst it looked like she'd indulged in a wash before falling asleep, it might be better to leave her to sleep for now and get her to eat in the morning. He hadn't been able to dig up anything for him to eat, but he was good for another couple of days. Vampire constitution lasted longer than usual, and he just needed to drink his fill once a week in dire circumstances.

And they rarely got any more dire than this.

He sighed and placed the food he had scavenged on the small table by the wall and unfolded the blanket he had managed to barter from one of the demons. It was a ragged old thing, but it would serve to keep her warm. He took her jacket off of her and she squirmed in protest, until he covered her with the blanket. Carefully, he folded her jacket up and raised her head, providing her with a pillow of sorts. Then he moved away, crouching against the wall, settling down for a night of silent contemplation.

Minutes had passed when she opened her eyes and looked at him. He stared back, waiting for her to say something.

'Spike…' She yawned a little and he smiled, not wanting to voice the opinion that she actually looked cute when she did that. She reached a hand out from under the slightly too large blanket and patted the bed. 'Would you sleep here with me?'

'I'm here, pet. Probably won't sleep anyway.'

'No…I mean, in the bed.' She looked sheepish as he cocked his head in questioning. 'I could use a hug.'

His face cracked into a smile and he stood up. 'Course I can pet. If a hug's all you need…' _Not that I would object to anything more._ He didn't speak further and slid in beside her, feeling his body warm as she snuggled into his side, her small frame moulding into his. The blanket covered both of them amply and when he was sure she was comfortable, he placed his arms around her, her head resting on his unmoving chest. He felt, rather than heard, the small sigh of contentment she expelled and the vampire smiled again.

He'd never seen this coming.

'Why the need for a hug, pet?' He asked, a little scared of the answer.

She didn't look up at him. 'It's good to have a friend around again. Someone I know I can trust.'

'How do you know that?'

'Because if you'd wanted me dead, I would have died in the Initiative. You've changed Spike. Doesn't take a genius to notice it.' His arms tightened unconsciously around her and he felt her burrow herself deeper into his embrace.

'I'm sorry I'm the only friend you got around.' He said, feeling tiny pinpricks of guilt at his involvement once more. He'd been an idiot and it was time for amends. He wasn't expected her to shift and look up at him, a wealth of trust in her gaze, something he never believed he would see.

'So am I. But I guess…bad things happen. All we can do is try to make amends.' Her thoughts were echoing his then. She sighed and moved her head back down. 'I've gone the last two years trying not to make any ties, terrified I'll fuck up again.' As the expletive passed her lips, he chuckled to himself, wondering why he had never heard her swear before. 'But I can't live my life like that. Not in these times. Not when everything is so hard.'

'We all need someone to lean on, pet.'

She nodded, a strange sensation against his chest. 'I just never thought it would be you.'

The conversation ended then and he stilled himself, listening to her heart slow and she fell back into the slumber he had disturbed. And as sleep threatened to take him, a small smile graced his lips and he found himself thinking how glad he was that it was him after all…

-I-E-H-

Her skin was clammy when she woke up and she was alone in the bed. Spike wasn't next to her anymore and from the looks of it he wasn't even in the room. Buffy sat up and disentangled the sheets from around her legs, wiping at her forehead. She was cooling down now, and knew she was likely all worked up from the heavy dream she'd been having. It was one she was used to having most nights, an endless torment she could honestly say she probably deserved.

She was watching. Back in the Initiative, she was watching her friends die, watching Riley being turned into a demon cyborg. And Spike wasn't there to help her this time. She always woke up after that, she never got out. It terrified her to think that she might have been turned into one of those things and somehow, it scared her to think that maybe her friends were still out there, but not how she had once known them.

A shudder worked its way through her system and she stood up, walking the shaking from her limbs. She made her way to the basin and splashed cold water over her face in an effort to wash the remnants of the nightmare away.

The door opened behind her and the tinglies in her neck went mad. She relaxed, turning to face her companion, who smiled in return and flopped down onto the bed.

'Where've you been?' Buffy asked, walking over to the table and noticing the food he had brought in last night. She picked at it, her stomach rumbling for more. He watched her for a second before realising she had asked him a question.

'Couldn't sleep. Went for a wander. It's just past midday.' He said, fiddling with the sheets on the bed. Buffy nodded sitting down in the rickety chair that squeaked under her weight. 'You were having bad dreams?'

Buffy shrugged, not meeting his gaze. 'No worse than usual.' Silence met her statement and she knew he knew she was lying. The dreams were always bad and always took her back to a time she had no pleasure in revisiting. But Spike didn't need to know that; she decided to change the subject. 'When you left…I told you to go…outside the Initiative…you said if you saw me again you wouldn't help me.'

Spike grimaced and leant his head back against the wall. 'Thought we covered this pet. I've changed, you've changed. The whole world has changed. We can't afford to be the people we used to be.' He sighed. 'I know being evil and all I shouldn't care about helping…somewhere along the line that changed.'

'I just worry you're being like you used to be. Just looking out for number one.'

He looked at her hard. 'Don't get me wrong Buffy…sometimes that's the best way to be. But you said last night you trusted me. And I'm not gonna dishonour that by betraying you. The greater good's what's at risk here.' He looked away briefly. 'Remember when you went up against Angel that time and I helped out?' She nodded in affirmation. 'Well, I meant what I said then. I like this world…or I liked the way it was. I want that back.' He stood up and began to pace. Buffy saw the tension in his limbs and briefly wondered if he would ever relax fully. 'Back when I was taking a pop at you…I hated you. Blamed you for Drusilla leaving. But in the end she was right and now I'm on your side.' He sighed. 'I'll help you. Until you tell me to piss off again.'

She smiled and stood up, placing a hand on his chest to stop his pacing. He stopped and looked at her, something deep in his gaze that made her hesitate.

'I won't tell you to "piss off". I'm glad you're here. I know you've changed. I said as much last night. And I do trust you. I just…it's difficult to understand how someone so evil suddenly turned into a white hat.'

The atmosphere in the room shifted and Spike grinned. 'I was evil wasn't I?'

Buffy smiled in kind and patted his arm. 'Yes. Yes you were, you big evil fiend you.' Her patronising tone was taken as jest and Spike moved away, sitting on the bed again, an effective smirk on his face. Buffy watched him for a second, her own smile fixed in place. 'What time did you want to head out?'

'Soon.' He fished his lighter out of his pocket again.

'Well, just let me get my bearings okay?'

'No problem. Just let me know when you wanna leave. It's pretty much tunnels for the next thirty miles, which should take us into the night. If we continue till morning, we might make Trenton. D'Ran said there's another camp there. He's not sure if it's human or demon but it shouldn't matter too much.' Spike lay back on the bed and began throwing his lighter in the air and catching it.

Buffy watched him for a few seconds before sitting back at the table, picking at the plate of food again. She didn't notice him sit up and watch her until he spoke.

'And you can eat all of that. Keep your strength up.'


	3. Chapter 3

AU from Primeval, the story so far: As Buffy faces off with Adam, the spell is performed but the demons break through. Buffy gets distracted and tries to save her friends, but fails. Spike gets her out and they escape, parting ways. Years later they meet again, and travel together on their way to fight Adam in Washington and end the worldwide tyranny of the cyborgs. They meet a young couple who aide them in the fight...and emotions are stirring (although Spike would deny it if you asked)

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

* * *

It was probably late evening by now but she couldn't tell. The dank and dirty tunnels they were using for their travels looked the same, day or night, rain or shine. She didn't have the senses of a vampire and her body clock had been screwed since she'd been called. Late nights and early mornings had left her finding it difficult to tell what time it was roughly. But then, at least she didn't do that annoying thing where someone decided it felt like four in the afternoon when it was really twelve. Buffy had never figured out how you could tell what the time _felt_ like.

She sighed as she trudged along behind Spike, water swirling around the worn boots adorning her feet. The rest of the tunnels they had traversed hadn't been this wet, and for all accounts, it didn't seem to be fazing the vampire ahead of her. But Buffy was bothered. Not by the water because it wasn't deep enough to drown in. No, what bothered her was crawling along by the wall.

Rats. Big ones. The size of a cat. And they kept looking at her with those beady little eyes, as if they were going to attack at any minute. Yeah, sure, she was the slayer. But they were very big rats and she was still a girl.

Spike stopped suddenly, and Buffy didn't notice. She walked right into the back of him and yelped in surprise. He turned, looking down at her with a raised eyebrow and an amused grin on his face. Buffy simply scowled back, pushing him away a little.

'Why'd ya stop?' She asked, her eyes darting nervously between him and the rats.

'Smelt something.' He tapped his nose, looking around. 'Keep quiet. I think we got company.'

'Probably just another demon kiddie.' She murmured, watching as he moved to the wall and got far too close to the rats for her liking. She shuddered as he motioned for her to conceal herself, and she looked around, looking for a place where there weren't any rats.

He frowned at her as splashing reached her hearing. Someone, or something, was running down the tunnels towards them. Buffy slipped straight into Slayer mode and darted behind Spike, kicking at a rat that got too close. They listened intently as the noise got closer.

'There are two of them. Not cyborgs.' Spike whispered. Buffy frowned.

'How do you know?' She asked.

'Footsteps are too light. The bastards can run, but they're not light footed in any sense of the word.' He stood straight. Buffy followed suit.

Gun fire suddenly exploded into the tunnels and a shriek followed. Heavier splashing joined the first set and Spike looked down at the blonde slayer. 'Those, however, would be the bad guys. Come on.' He grabbed her hand and pulled her back out into the tunnel. They began to run, heading away from the noise. Buffy almost tripped as they rounded a corner and Spike caught her quickly, holding her up. She looked at him briefly, before he pointed at a door in the tunnels. A battered maintenance sign hung from it, and they darted in as the noises drew closer.

Spike pressed up against the wall, watching Buffy as she nosed the door open, watching the outside to see what exactly was going on. She gasped as what looked like two teenagers rounded the same corner they had and glanced about wildly. Gun fire ricocheted off walls behind them and the boy shouted at the girl. Buffy looked up at Spike, who threw the door open and motioned to the two quickly. They spotted him and ran, jumping into the closet with the slayer and vampire, who slammed the door, throwing himself against it as heavy footsteps clunked around the corner and stopped.

The room filled with muffled breathing, and Spike prayed that the demonoids wouldn't hear it.

'Targets have disappeared.' One deep voice filtered through the darkness.

'Orders?' Another joined it.

'Separate. I shall pursue this course. You search the other tunnel and we shall reconvene back at the surface. Orders are to kill on sight if they will not join.' The voices stopped and Spike strained his hearing to make certain the enemy had departed. One set of heavy feet headed away from them in one direction, whilst the other demon headed in the opposite direction. The splashing receded and he looked around the darkened room. He knew for a certainty that he could only see because of his vampiric eyesight, and his sense of smell was telling him he wasn't the only demon in the room.

A hand on his shoulder reminded him of the slayer at his side and he turned to her.

'Any chance we could find a light in here?' She asked. 'I don't want to go outside and risk a run in with those things.' Spike nodded, even though the gesture was useless in the dark, and reached out into the darkness, looking for a light switch. He frowned as his hand connected with nothing.

'Can't find one pet.' He looked up at the ceiling, squinting and shifting into his vampire mask to see better. 'There isn't actually a light bulb in here.'

'Great.' Buffy murmured, folding her arms over her chest and scowling.

The female escapee cleared her throat. 'I can sort that out.' She clicked her fingers and a small light appeared, floating in front of them. Spike jumped back a little and Buffy grinned.

'We found a Willow.' She said and then the grin disappeared. She glanced at Spike, who smiled reassuringly, a gesture that always looked strangely disconcerting in his vampiric visage. His hand found hers again, and he squeezed it gently and she nodded, looking back to the two runaways they had rescued.

The boy was slightly taller than the girl, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt that had seen better days. Dirt covered the majority of his pale skin and dark blue eyes glanced nervously at Spike. He had brown hair with slight blonde streaks, which looked as if it had once been styled and cut professionally. But then again, nowadays it was hard to come across a barber.

The girl, on the other hand, didn't look quite as nervous as the boy did. She glared at Spike, obviously recognising him for the vampire he was. She had long black hair with red streaks and her clothes were equally as dirty as her companion's were. She also had jeans on and a camisole that bore a gaping hole in the side, showing a scarred torso. Buffy winced at the bloodstained clothing that had obviously gone through a lot with their owners. The addition to her outfit however, was the long coat that was draped over her shoulders. It seemed in fairly good condition, with a few holes in the worn fabric.

'You're a vampire.' The girl stated; a clear British twang to her accent. Buffy was once again reminded of her friends, and she bit back the choked sob forming in her throat. Spike glanced at her quickly, before slipping back to his human features and nodding.

'Yeah, pet, I am. But this here is the Slayer so you're in no danger. Plus, you're not entirely human yourself.' He threw comment at her so casually that the girl jumped a little, looking at the boy with something akin to worry. The boy shrugged; visibly relaxed now he knew the Slayer was in his presence.

'No.' she looked directly at the vampire, shrugging. 'But that doesn't matter to them.'

'Why were they chasing you?' Buffy asked.

'We broke into their headquarters.' The boy spoke up, his accent giving him away as an American. 'They keep hostages for spare parts.' The girl made a face.

'You didn't try to save them did you?' Buffy asked, trying to guess the duo's age.

'We tried. But we got caught and ran.' The girl said. Spike pointed at her.

'You're clearly not from around here.'

She looked at him defiantly. 'Neither are you. But I know who you are. William the Bloody. Or Spike.' She sighed. 'Word travels fast.'

'Okay, so you've heard of me. Not surprised.' The vamp narrowed his eyes. 'But who are you?'

The boy offered his hand. 'I'm Ryan. I'm from Toledo in Ohio. Or what used to be Ohio.' He shrugged. The girl looked at him and sighed, running a hand through her messy locks.

'I'm Tiree. And I'm from Portsmouth.' Buffy nodded.

'New Hampshire? I've been there, it used to be nice.' The slayer said, receiving a strange look from Tiree and Spike.

'England pet.' Spike squeezed her hand again and she looked down at the ground.

'Oh. Sorry.'

'S'okay. I forget you Americans think this continent is the world.' Buffy looked as if she was about to protest, when Spike cleared his throat.

'So why are you over here instead of safe in Merry Olde?' He asked and the girl shot him a scathing look. Ryan's hand came up to grab her forearm.

'They probably don't know.' He muttered. Buffy looked at him sharply.

'Know what?' She said.

'That the rest of the world is very quickly falling to the cyborgs. The last communication we had, Europe was overrun. For some reason the only country they are struggling with is Switzerland.' Tiree clarified. 'I came over here three years ago on gap year. And about a week before my flight was due, we hear screaming outside. Demons. Not a surprise for me since I already knew, but I wasn't exactly expecting a full on take over on my holiday.'

Silence befell the small room and Buffy once again felt overwhelming guilt. The majority of this situation was her fault for not stopping Adam when she had the chance. She felt Spike squeezing her hand again but this time it wasn't helping. She pulled away, opening the door behind him and barging out into the relative fresh air of the tunnels.

The world began to spin on her and she could feel the pressure in her chest erupt. Her senses told her Spike had embraced her, trying to protect her against the hysteria that was slowly engulfing her mind. Her Slayer sense tingled, telling her, no, screaming at her, that he was a vampire, that he was not to be trusted. That he had helped Adam.

But he hadn't. In the end he had saved her.

Like she couldn't do for her friends. Or the world.

This whole thing was her fault.

Her Slayer instincts took over and she pushed against the solid cold wall of his chest, sending him flying against the side of the tunnels. He hit with a dull thud and slid to the ground, his hand going to his head and a groan tearing from his lips. Buffy just stood and stared at him, tears rolling down her cheeks and her fists clenching and unclenching at her sides. Her whole body shook with tension as he stood and approached her again.

'Buffy…just calm down.' He said, bringing his hands up in a gesture of peace.

'Don't…' She raised a hand, her teeth gritted together as she spoke to him. 'Don't tell me what to do.'

He reeled back as if shot and dropped his arms, looking at her like a wounded puppy. He cocked his head to the side, studying her and she shuddered under his gaze. She barely noticed the two standing off to her side, watching the scene unfold with a mixture of curiosity and concern. Spike narrowed his eyes at her.

'Fine, luv. Whatever you want. But you're being a stupid cow and you know it.' He pointed at her before she could spit something back at him. 'It wasn't your fault. If anyone is to blame it's the fucking government. Adam is unstoppable. So stop blaming yourself for this cause you did everything you could and lost half your world in the process!'

She charged forward and punched him solidly in the jaw. He went down, unprepared for the unexpected hit. She lunged for him on the ground, her fist reared back for another connection. Water splashed around them as they grappled in the water, his vampire face coming to the fore.

They went for each other, fists and fangs across the tunnel. Buffy snarled at him, feeling relief flood her system for the first time in months. This was better. This was how it should be between them. Fighting. No compassion. And certainly nothing of what she had been feeling recently. He was a vampire. She was the Slayer.

It wasn't that simple though and she knew it.

The fight ended abruptly as she collapsed into tears on top of his chest and his arms came up around her. They were both soaked and muddied, blood dripping from a cut on Spike's forehead. He pulled her to her feet, wrapping his arms around her protectively as she sobbed her soul away into his chest. The other two stepped forward; acutely aware that Buffy didn't care they were there.

No one really worried about stuff like that anymore. Not in this new world.

Spike looked at them sharply.

'We're headed to Washington. All the big guns are gathering for the last showdown. You seem to have some power so you're welcome to come along for the fight.' He waited for an answer. Ryan glanced at Tiree and nodded at her. The girl looked up at the vampire and smiled.

'We're in.'

The former blonde nodded, and grimaced, and then looked down at the sobbing slayer in his arms.

'Then we'd best get a move on.'

The door was a few metres away from them. They had made it to the outskirts of Trenton, and had spent the morning searching for the camp. After nearly a whole day of walking, running and no rest, all four were ready to collapse. All except Spike, who had insisted his vampire constitution allowed him to continue. Even if Buffy knew he was lying though his teeth. She'd seen him limping on his previously injured leg and felt bad for making it worse. If she hadn't of lost her head, he might not be hurt again.

Tiree stepped forward. 'Look if it's demons or humans, it's a camp and they'll help us, right?' She shrugged. 'We're all good guys here.'

Buffy watched the girl closely. She knew there was something that the brunette wasn't telling them, but she wasn't going to prod. She was headstrong and brave and Buffy couldn't fault her for that. But she would have to do some talking with the girl, suss her out better. The boy on the other hand, seemed like the talkative type and reminded her of Xander too much. He was nice enough and seemed besotted with Tiree, but his exact advantages remained to be seen.

Spike cleared his throat. 'Buffy, you should go. They'll have heard of you. We'll follow once you give the all clear.'

The slayer looked at him hard. Then stood up and nodded. 'Ok.' She stepped forward as Tiree melted back into the shadows with the others. Buffy moved to the door and raised a hand, knocking hard. Silence greeted her.

After a few seconds and click sounded from inside and the door opened a crack. A gun peeked out at her and she stepped to the side.

'Who's there?' A male voice filtered through and Buffy frowned as she recognised it.

'Oz?' She asked and the door opened fully, revealing the short blonde guitarist. He frowned at her and lowered the weapon.

'Buffy?' He asked and then smiled. 'Oh, thank god it's you. We've had so many attacks, I had to be sure.'

Buffy stepped forward and embraced him, smiling. 'I didn't know you made it. It's so nice to see someone familiar.' She motioned behind her as she stepped backwards out of the hug. 'I have some company. We're travelling to Washington to fight the good fight.' Oz brightened.

'Is Willow with you?' He asked and Buffy's face fell.

She choked back a cry and shook her head. 'No…err…' She didn't have time to finish as Spike stepped from the shadows, flanked by Tiree and Ryan. Oz raised the gun again as he registered Spike, who raised his hands in defence.

'White flag!' He said and Buffy placed her hand on the gun.

'It's ok, Oz. He's a good guy. Like Angel.'

'I'm nothing like Angel.' Spike snarled at her. Oz grinned.

'No, you have personality.' The werewolf smirked and Spike saluted him mockingly. Oz stepped back. 'You guys better come on in. Never know when something's gonna show up to make life interesting.' The foursome trudged into the corridor behind Oz and he shut the door, pulling a blast door closed after it. He pointed behind them as lights filtered through to the hallway.

The fivesome began walking, Oz and Buffy taking up the front. Spike lagged behind Tiree and Ryan, who walked in silence.

'So are you still a werewolf?' Buffy asked, twiddling her thumbs.

Oz shook his head. 'Shaman took care of that one. I'm all good now.' He sighed. 'Do you know where Willow is?'

Buffy bit her lip looking away. 'The thing of it is, Oz…Willow never made it out of Sunnydale.' Silence consumed them suddenly and Oz looked away, mimicking Buffy's previous movement.

'I thought so. I guess I knew but I kept hoping. Did the others…' he let the sentence hang.

'Anya and Tara made it out. Giles, Xander and Willow got trapped inside the Initiative when we were fighting Adam. I only got out cause of the peroxide pain…' Buffy trailed off and they fell in silence again. Spike either hadn't picked up on the jibe, or he'd chosen to ignore but either way, Buffy was somewhat grateful.

The silence lasted a few minutes until they ventured into the centre of the camp. There were few people scattered around, but then it was unlikely they would be out in the open. It wasn't the biggest camp Buffy had ever seen, but neither was it the smallest. The few families that did glance their way sent whispers flying and Buffy knew Oz would probably be answering questions about the newcomers.

'How long have you been here?' Spike asked suddenly, making his close presence to her known. He had moved quietly and quickly, once again reminding her that he was a vampire. It didn't creep her out, but it gave her a reality check every time.

Oz looked at the previously peroxide man and grimaced. 'Bout nine months. I got stranded here and helped some of the army guys set up a camp. They've got about thirty families sheltering here, as well as the odd loners. But they're moving on quickly. We keep getting attacked. The weapons we've got aren't going to last long now.' He sighed. 'This place will be empty before long. I've got half a mind to join you.'

Spike nodded and looked around as they came to a halt by another corridor. 'You're always welcome mate.'

Oz smiled gratefully and pointed down the hall. 'These rooms are all spare. They did belong to some families and the water supply is quite good. There's makeshift showers in each of them and blankets and everything. People just leave stuff behind. No heavy bulks and all that.' He looked curiously at the two Buffy and Spike had picked up on the way. 'Sorry I'm assuming here. You guys want separate rooms?'

Tiree shook her head and reached for Ryan's hand. He smiled warmly at her as she looked at Oz. 'No we're good.'

Buffy narrowed her eyes. She'd suspected as much, but the girl still had a quality that was bugging the hell out of her slayer sense. Tiree walked past her, dropping Ryan's hand as they moved into one of the rooms and shut the door. Spike glanced in their general direction and then looked at Buffy curiously.

'We're sharing a room then, pet?'

She looked sharply at him, ignoring the look from Oz. He turned and walked away. Buffy curled her hand around Spike's arm and nodded.

'I don't wanna be alone.'

-I-E-H-

The room was cold, but it didn't seem to bug Tiree all that much. Across the room from where she sat on the bed, Ryan was showering, cleaning the numerous cuts he had picked up on the journey. A long gash tainted his side, but she knew he'd be alright. He healed quickly.

She was glad that the vampire hadn't mentioned that. He'd picked up on the fact she wasn't completely human but he didn't seem to have noticed the difference in Ryan's blood which was surprising. Whilst he seemed like the loud confident guy from Ohio, he was far from it. The side he didn't usually show to others; the one only she saw. His vampire side.

He'd been born like it. He'd never known his parents, growing up in various foster homes. He'd met her shortly before the war had begun. Their meeting had been tumultuous, and sudden, but she couldn't for one moment say she'd regretted it. Even though they'd nearly killed each other.

The shower turned off and he turned to her, shaking the excess water out of his hair. She smiled at him, noticing he was shivering slightly. The blanket at her hand quickly flew across the room and he wrapped himself in it, moving slowly towards her. She leaned into his side as he sat beside her on the bed, wrapping one arm around her shoulders.

'Can we trust them?' he asked, speaking quietly.

'Yeah. She's the slayer and everything I knew she would be. She doesn't trust us right now but that is to be expected.' Tiree smiled. 'Just fortunate we ran into them when we did otherwise those demonoids would have had us.' They hadn't been lying. They had been on a mission to rescue victims of the cyborgs, but Tiree's aim all along was to find the slayer. She knew what had to be done to defeat Adam.

Ryan glanced down, running his free hand along her arm. 'Why don't you take that coat off?'

She grimaced. 'If someone knocks I don't want them seeing it.'

'Seeing what?' A voice echoed from the doorway and the two turned, shocked to see Spike emerging from the shadows. Tiree stood up and Ryan pulled the blanket over himself to cover his modesty. Spike chuckled. 'Don't worry boy, I don't swing that way. Even so, it ain't nothing I haven't seen before.' The vampire looked back to Tiree. 'But yours sounds as if it might be. And I won't have anyone travelling with us that can't be trusted.'

'We can be trusted.' Ryan said, gritting his teeth.

'Then it's time to bare all kiddies.'

Tiree nodded. 'It won't stay secret for long anyways.' She glanced at Ryan, then looked back to Spike. 'You were right when you said I wasn't human. Not completely anyway. But I'm here for a reason. So is Ryan.'

'But you're still not being completely truthful pet.' Spike stepped forward, the silver glint of his lighter in his hand. 'See, my nose tells me there's another vampire in the room. A half-breed at least.' Ryan's eyes widened and Spike chuckled again. 'Score one for the vamp.'

The girl frowned. 'I didn't think you'd noticed.'

'I can always tell when another of my kind is around. But he's definitely not full blood. For one, I can hear a heart beat. Coming from both of you.' He sniffed. 'But I didn't think there were many around.'

'There aren't.' Ryan clarified. 'We're a weakness. I'm only like this cause my mother got turned as she was full term. Her dying caused me to take on vampire blood.' He narrowed his eyes. 'I'm not evil.'

'No half-breed is unless they choose it.' Spike said, flicking the lighter open and shut again. He looked at Tiree again. 'But I'm more curious about you. You smell…other worldly.'

Tiree sighed and shrugged her coat off, removing the camisole with it, leaving a sports top to cover her. A harness was secured around her torso and she unclipped it, turning so she could show Spike what she had been trying to hide. The first thing he noticed was the scars that covered her pale skin and fresh cuts that had yet to heal. Then what he was supposed to be looking at took him by surprise.

From the shoulder blades down to the waist, thin translucent red material hung like wings. They were in fact wings, but so battered and torn they were barely recognisable. His eyes widened as he realised exactly what she was.

'You're a nymph.' He whispered.

She nodded. 'A witch nymph to be precise to species. And I'm only a half breed. These things have never worked. Mainly because they were damaged when I was a child.' Ryan's hand slipped into hers and she smiled at him. 'I've been this way my whole life. But I'm a good guy. I pull magic for the right side.'

'You need to tell Buffy.' Spike said, sternly, looking at Ryan. 'She'll be accepting of the nymph thing but vampires aren't her favourite people.'

Ryan frowned. 'She's gets on alright with you.'

'I'm a special case.'

The boy scoffed. 'She loves you, you dolt. And you probably love her back.'

The vampire stepped forward menacingly, before Tiree almost snarled at him. 'No fighting. We're here for a reason. I was supposed to find the slayer.'

'What for?' Spike asked, cocking his head to the side. Ryan smiled triumphantly.

'Because Tiree knows how to fight Adam.'

-I-E-H-

Ryan watched, concerned, as his girl explained everything to the tiny blond slayer. Looking at both of them, they didn't seem much, but he knew they were both powerful in their own right. Spike, as well, was a formidable opponent and whilst Ryan could fight as well as any of them, he didn't fancy them much as enemies. In fact, he'd only gone up against Tiree the once, when they had first met and it was a close draw then. Of course the after fight show was much better…

-I-E-H-

_The cemetery was dark and cold, like it always was. There'd been faint rumblings lately of evil rising in California but Ryan wasn't paying much attention to rumours. He'd wait until it actually happened. He was nineteen now, living in his own flat, scraping enough of an earning to survive. All he wanted in life was to kill those that haunted him._

_And possibly a good lay._

_He grinned as he caught the scent of something that wasn't human and the sounds of a fight sprang to his ears. He crept forward, fists at the ready, his eyes attuned to the darkness._

_Then he saw her._

_A small girl, maybe his age, a long coat over her shoulders and some killer moves showing in her struggle against the vamp she was fighting. Moves that she'd probably spent years perfecting. But he didn't want to interrupt her. She moved like grace on the wind, and he felt himself wanting a taste._

_The vampire didn't take long to dust, but Ryan sensed instantly that she knew he was there. He stood up, not bothering to conceal himself and she looked at him, a defensive stance adopted, her eyes making more than one sweep of him._

'_You're pretty nice to look at for a soon to be pile of dust.' English. Interesting._

'_You don't wanna fight me.' He said, moving forward._

_She was in front of him suddenly, a fist coming from nowhere to land a punch on his chin. He hit the deck, rubbing the spot tenderly. She grinned down on him._

'_Think you'll find I do.'_

_He jumped to his feet, avoiding blows. He'd always believed hitting girls was wrong, unless they were demons or vampires and about to take a bite out of some innocent mortal. And he wasn't gonna blow a chance by landing a hard hit on this beauty._

_She'd whipped a stake out somewhere along the line and Ryan found himself wondering if he could actually dust in the grand scheme of things. But he wasn't keen to find out. He blocked the weapon, __spinning her and holding her against his chest. Bare skin connected with bare skin and she jumped, relaxing in his grip. He let her go and she stared at him curiously._

'_You're not evil.' She stated and he shook his head._

'_No I'm not.'_

_A wicked grin crossed her face. 'And you're sexy.'_

_He didn't know whether to deny it or be cocky. He didn't seem to have a choice in whether he spoke as she jumped him again and this time they were kissing not fighting. Her lips were on his and now his body was on fire. Fighting always left him pumped up, but this was ridiculous. She was gonna kill him._

She hadn't and they'd spent the last two years trawling the country together. Whilst it was far from bliss in a war torn tyrannical demon state, he could say he was happy. She was different, but she was good different and he knew she felt the same about him. Two outcasts, surviving together in a place where neither should survive.

The explanations had stopped now. She was looking at him as Buffy and Spike talked. There was that look in her eyes and somehow he knew he wasn't going to get much sleep tonight.

'If what she says is true we need to start moving straight away.' Buffy was saying. Ryan looked at her, pulled out of the dirty thoughts his mind had been delving into.

'No, we need rest, Buffy.' Spike argued. 'You know that as well as I do.' The slayer looked at him with narrowed eyes, her mouth opening to protest. Spike raised a hand. 'No arguments, Buffy. You are going to get a couple of hours kip, as are these two. I don't care how supernatural this little soiree is, we still need rest.'

Buffy clamped her jaw shut, her mind wandering to how he had been injured a week before. She knew it hadn't healed properly; he'd been walking heavier on one leg. But he wouldn't ever admit the weakness; he wouldn't want to appear weak in front of her. So she nodded and sat down on the bed, pulling a blanket to herself as Ryan and Tiree stood, heading for the door.

'We'll meet back here at sundown. Get some sleep, eat something before we head out.' Spike ordered. The couple began to leave before Spike stopped Ryan in his tracks, holding his arm. 'You need any blood?' Ryan stared at him for a second before shaking his head. Spike narrowed his eyes, frowning deeply before Tiree smiled, pulling Ryan out of his grip. The vampire understood in a second and watched them depart. Ryan obviously got his blood from a source close to home. Spike would have to forage for his dinner tonight. He'd have to have a word with the wolf and find out if they actually had a medical bay in this camp.

Buffy cleared her throat.

'He didn't answer you.'

'He'll find some.' Spike said, sitting down on the bed, further away from her than he usually placed himself. Buffy inched closer.

'You're not being honest with me.' Buffy said, pulling the blanket around both of them. Spike stiffened and then relaxed as the tiny blonde slayer curled into his side. He was definitely gonna have to get used to this. 'Does Ryan drink from her?' The vampire glanced down at her and pulled an arm out from under the cover, draping it around her shoulders. She frowned as he nodded. 'Isn't that dangerous?'

Spike shook his head. 'No. Not if it's only small amounts. He's only a half blood as well, means he doesn't need much to keep him going.'

Buffy yawned, another question praying on her mind. Before she could express it, Spike pressed a finger to her lips, shushing her. She nodded sleepily, surprised at how worn out she really was. She closed her eyes, feeling the hard surface underneath her head shift as she drifted away. As slumber finally took her she was aware of Spike leaving the room, but she was so comfortable, she couldn't follow.

-I-E-H-

Spike walked down the corridor, his hands thrust deep into his pockets. The walls breathed around him; everyone else in the complex was asleep, save the guards. He could hear the mice crawling along the floor and briefly wondered if there were any rats around. They weren't the finest of culinary dishes but when food were scarce, he wasn't picky.

Movement caught his eye and he stilled, watching the large rodent crawl down the wall side, scampering along without noticing him. He trailed it down two corridors, slipping into game face. His stomach was almost growling; the one rat wouldn't sustain him.

A noise sent the animal running and Spike snarled, whirling round to face the object of the sound. Oz stood behind him, a bemused grin on his usually stoic face and the vampire frowned, slipping out of game face. He watched the former werewolf cautiously before the other spoke.

'You do that often? Cause I can't imagine rats being the tastiest of morsels.'

Spike grinned. 'Gotta eat.'

Oz nodded. 'I can help with that. We got a medical bay, and a fridge of blood bags. Just in case of transfusions. Lot of it's expired though so you can fill up on that.' He scrunched up his face. 'I can't believe you were going to eat a rat.'

The vampire shrugged and followed the other man along the corridors, passing back by his and Buffy's room. He could hear her softly breathing inside and it calmed him for some unexplained reason. The medical bay was only around the next corner and Oz opened the door with a key. He looked to Spike, who raised an eyebrow.

'Some people steal supplies. It's best to keep it locked.' He motioned for the vamp to go inside and then followed, shutting the door behind them. He pointed to a fridge in the corner, and the vampire smiled his thanks before opening it and grabbing a bag. Hunger overwhelmed him and Oz watched as he emptied a few. The guitarist didn't flinch, and started to talk.

'I knew someone had to have made it out of Sunnydale. Was really hoping Willow hadn't gotten caught up in all that. I know she was with someone else but…'

'You always care.' Spike finished for him, throwing an emptied bag into the trash can a few metres away. 'I still care about Dru. Hurt me right deep when I felt her die.' Upon Oz's strange look he clarified. 'Vampire thing. She was family. You can always feel it.'

Oz nodded, leaning against the solid metal table in the middle of the room. 'Changing the subject, how come you and Buffy ended up together?'

'We're not together.' Spike said, sharply, before coughing a little and shaking his head. 'I mean, we're not. She just needed someone. After I got her out we went our separate ways, threats and all.' He shrugged and shut the fridge, tucking a bag into his pocket for later consumption. 'Then about a week ago I stopped at a camp. I was heading for D.C anyway but I needed to inform the Slayer. Her mum told me where she was and it just so happened I picked the right camp after one of those cyborg bastards got me.' He motioned to his leg. 'I healed up, told her the plan and we just sort of fell into it. No doubt as soon as we get to the capital, she'll see Angel and be making moon eyes at him again.'

'So it bothers you that you're not together?' Oz asked and Spike scoffed at him, squaring his shoulders defensively.

'No. Course not. Want the bitch dead.' He waved a hand dismissively. 'Just handy to have her around until we get back to normal.'

'Right.' Oz said, rolling his eyes and turning back towards the door, a smile hitching the side of his mouth. 'You done?'

'Yeah, I'm full.' Spike followed the blonde out of the medical bay, watching as he locked the door behind him. Then he straightened and walked with the vampire as they headed back to his room. As Spike turned to go into the room he was sharing with the Slayer, Oz stopped him.

'That offer, for joining you?' Spike nodded as Oz bit his lip thoughtfully. 'I think I'm gonna take you up on it.'

'The help's appreciated.' Spike grinned and opened the door, leaving the ex-werewolf to his own devices. He shut the door behind him, leaning against it for a moment before casting a glance to the sleeping blonde on the bed. She had tangled the sheets around her legs, but for the most part, she seemed content. He grinned and moved over to her, pulling the sheets straight and laying down next to her. She responded by snuggling into his side and sighing softly, her arm snaking around him to pull him closer.

Spike smiled, closing his eyes, and letting the sound of her breathing lull him to sleep.

-I-E-H-

The camp was a few miles behind them and night had fallen, allowing the group to travel over ground for the time being. Buffy had insisted on it, saying she needed the fresh air and time away from the cramped spaces they had been travelling in. Spike had argued the point, but in the end, the slayer had won out, gaining the others' backup. Oz had pointed out that the above ground activity was less around Philadelphia, so it was probably okay to travel outside. Spike had grumbled, but followed willingly.

The sky was clouded over and they travelled in silence. Buffy was at the front, flanked by Tiree and Ryan. Oz hung back a bit, whilst the vampire took up the rear, all of them alert to any attack. They all carried a weapon each, mainly small hand pistols. Buffy still had her machete attached to her leg, and it had become Spike's opinion that she treated the weapon like a pet. She had merely replied with something about good weapons care, which sobered her immediately and he had not pressed the subject.

Tiree ventured off occasionally, which was making Buffy slightly nervous, but Ryan's indifference to the girl's frequent disappearances made her relax. If her boyfriend wasn't worried, Buffy wasn't going to stress herself over it. Particularly seeing as Tiree were perfectly capable of looking after herself. The revelation of the girl's true nature hadn't shocked Buffy; she'd seen so much as the Slayer it took a lot to extract that kind of reaction from her. She could honestly say she had never heard of anything quite like it before, but it was going to take something like Spike having a heartbeat again, combined with wings and a cameo in Harry Potter to make her raise her eyebrows.

The mere thought of Spike being in Harry Potter made her giggle and the vampire in question looked at her, one eyebrow higher than the other in an expression he had made all his own. Buffy stilled her giggles, but the smile remained and the vampire shared a look with the other males of the party. Oz shrugged at the Slayer's behaviour, and Ryan simply raised his eyebrows slightly before looking back ahead of them, where Tiree had returned from one of her mini expeditions with a worried look on her face.

Buffy immediately wiped the smile from her face and stopped, watching as the girl approached, her hand automatically reaching for the weapon at her side. Tiree glanced at each of them.

'There are bodies over there', she pointed in the direction which she had come. 'Civilians. Human. All gunshot wounds.'

'Cyborgs.' Oz said, hoisting his gun up higher. Spike looked to Buffy.

'We should go underground again.' Buffy said, looking around, concern flooding her face.

Tiree shook her head. 'They've been there a few days. But I think there may be one of their bases around here.'

'Would explain why we kept getting attacked.' Oz muttered, a look of anger crossing his face. Buffy looked at each of them and then Spike, watching him for a split second.

'Spike, what do you think?' The question seemed to catch him out and he stared at her for a moment.

'I think we should stay above ground. We'll move faster. But it's up to you, luv.' He waited for her response and she nodded, motioning in the direction they had been travelling.

'Right. We'll carry on up, but we need to be alert. I think it's best if you stop wandering off, Tiree.' The dark haired girl nodded and Buffy was grateful she didn't kick up a stink at the suggestion.

The group carried on for two more hours, occasionally passing bodies on their path. They weren't just humans; demons seemed to be as targeted as much as they were. And it wasn't just adults either. Buffy's heart could have broken when she saw the children. But she had no time for compassion. Maybe they were better off out of it.

Silence had befallen them, and no conversation swept through the group. Occasionally, Tiree would cross Ryan's path and reach out, making brief contact with him and Buffy had caught them a few times. She knew that she was reassuring both him and herself, and somehow found herself wishing she had someone like that. As the thought passed through her mind, she felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked back, finding the previously blonde vampire smiling slightly at her, his hand squeezing her ever so slightly. Then he dropped it and fell back to his own position and Buffy looked back ahead, a small smile uplifting the corner of her mouth.

Maybe she did have someone like that.


	4. Chapter 4

AU from Primeval, the story so far: As Buffy faces off with Adam, the spell is performed but the demons break through. Buffy gets distracted and tries to save her friends, but fails. Spike gets her out and they escape, parting ways. Years later they meet again, and travel together on their way to fight Adam in Washington and end the worldwide tyranny of the cyborgs. They meet a young couple who aide them in the fight and have an Oz travelling with them too. They're about halfway now, and emotions are stirring, this chapter is definitely an M...

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

* * *

'So just out of curiosity...where the hell are we?' Buffy asked, staring at the map and frowning. She wasn't very good at directions, a fact Spike was trying very hard not to mock her for. He smiled and gently took the paper from her, avoiding eye contact with her, just in case her mood took a wrong turn. Thankfully, she returned the smile and let him take the map without issue, knowing that he'd had much more experience with long travel than her.

They'd been on the move from Philadelphia for a day and were definitely close to somewhere in Delaware. They'd emerged from the sewers an hour ago, as the sun had gone down. This part of the country was empty and devoid of life – they'd had no run ins with cyborgs for a good thirty miles or so. They'd taken the opportunity to forage for food and rest, which had helped the partly human of the group. Unfortunately for Spike, the surrounding area had a distinct lack of animals, and he was getting slightly peckish with all the walking. But he hadn't complained.

He studied the map intently, as Ryan and Oz took an opportunity to sit down for five minutes. Buffy joined them and Tiree scaled a nearby dead tree to the top to look over the area around them. It was mostly decaying houses, some still standing but dirty and abandoned, overgrown with bushes and plants. She called down to Spike after a few minutes.

'There's what looks like a country park a few miles that way, North-west I think.' She pointed in front of her, and Spike looked up, looking back down to the map. 'And there's a lot of water to the East. Not the sea I don't think though..."

Spike nodded to himself and looked up and down the road they were on. It was as overgrown with weeds as the houses, and cars were abandoned on the side. He had no hope there was any petrol left to get them going, or that any of the rusted engines would actually work.

A rumble of thunder made them all jump and it didn't take long for Spike to sniff the air and deduct that they didn't have long to find shelter before it started raining. He folded the map up and turned to Buffy, just as Tiree landed next to them on the ground. Ryan and Oz both got up as Spike extended his hand to Buffy. She took it and looked at him questioningly.

'We're on the Philadelphia Pike, as far as I can deduct. About hundred and twenty miles left. If the park she saw is Bellevue State Park, then we're nearly in the centre of Wilmington. But there's a storm coming, probably a good idea if we take shelter for now. We don't have time to see if there are any colonies hiding out round here, so I suggest we jump into one of these house. Might be some running water, or tins of food.' He looked around. 'I'm gonna let you guys pick. I'm just here to sniff out the danger.

Another flash of lightening filled the suddenly black sky and thunder followed not far after. The group looked at each other and headed for the nearest street lined with houses. Buffy raced into the first house, just as the heavens opened and rain tipped down onto the street. Tiree shrieked and followed the Slayer, leaving the boys following after, laughing at the girls. With all the apocalypse around them, a little rain was nothing.

Spike lingered outside a little longer than the other, letting his senses extend over the surrounding areas. The rain was good, it was washing away their scent. And he couldn't feel anything for as far as he could sense. They were alone in this abandoned town. No animals either. That worried him. He wanted them to stop here for a while and gather their strength, as he knew they needed all the rest they could get before the big fight. And stopping for a while left him with no food. Something to solve at some point.

He turned and went into the house, discarding his wet coat and shoes where the others had left theirs. He found the two teens on a sofa in the living room; Oz was rifling through the cupboards in the kitchen. Buffy wasn't with either of them. Spike frowned and followed his nose, locating her in the master bedroom. She'd found the closet, half full of clothes. She was picking through them, a look of glee on her face.

'Clothes!' She smiled at him, pulling a warm jumper to her chest. Spike grinned back. 'I haven't had clothes without holes in them for so long!' She pointed at the other closet. 'I think a family lived here. There's two teen looking rooms down the hall and this was the Mom and Dad's I think. He was about your size, find something! I'm sure you'll find some black.'

Spike rolled his eyes but moved to the other closet anyway, indulging her. Truth was he could use some clean stuff. He'd been wearing the same shirt for a while. He'd have to make sure the others got what they needed too.

A cough from the hallway interrupted his thoughts. Tiree stood, her arms folded as she surveyed the room. Buffy shrugged at him and went back to scavenging. Spike grinned again and the followed Tiree out of the room and into the hall.

'We could all use a decent meal and a shower, Spike.' He nodded and waited for her to continue. 'The electric will still work but...if we turn it on, the cyborgs will notice and come running. I've done a location spell, the nearest cluster of demons are twenty miles away.'

'So we can't use any of the appliances.'

'We can. But I'll have to do a spell to mask us. They won't notice that this house is using power, but if a patrol comes by, they might sniff us out.'

'I don't think they come through here very often, Tiree. I couldn't smell anything anywhere round here.' He sighed. 'Do the spell. This storm may last a while and I'm not keen to travel in it. We'll do what we can here.' Tiree nodded.

'I'll let you know when we're good to go.'

-I-E-H-

Buffy had been languishing under the hot spray for about forty-five minutes now. She was in heaven. Or the closest since the world had gone to pot. She had found some toiletries in the bathroom cupboard and silently thanked the family that had lived here for abandoning all of the stuff they had. Tiree's spell had cloaked them so they could use the electric and it didn't hurt there was a generator out the back to run emergency power.

Her hair was clean, her fingernails were free of dirt for the first time in what felt like forever. She had spent ages scrubbing all the memories and pain from her skin, feeling them burn away with the hot water. Oz was currently cooking a meal in the kitchen and the delicious smells were making her stomach bubble in anticipation, it had been so long.

Spike had folded up some clean clothes for her and placed them on the side, waiting for her when she emerged from the shower. He'd told the others that she got the master bedroom tonight, with it big soft mattress and thick duvet cover. Tiree and Ryan were having one of the kids rooms, while Oz had the other, and Spike had opted for staying up on watch all night. The others had argued but Spike had put his foot down, citing his advanced constitution. Buffy had found she didn't have the energy to fight with him about it, only too grateful for the rest.

She finished rinsing her hair out and towelled herself down with the massive fluffy towel Spike had located her. She had been the last to use the shower, except Spike, who had said he would do it while they ate. He had no use for human food now, and she knew he was hungry himself but keeping quiet about it. The once impatient and selfish vampire she knew was gone, replaced with a self-sacrificing...champion, she supposed. No other word for it. She'd heard about more of his exploits than he knew she did. But she also knew he liked to hold onto the shell of his old persona, it was the only shield he had.

Once dressed, she headed for the kitchen, where the teen couple were digging into the massive pasta dish that Oz had prepared. The cupboards had revealed a mass of tinned food, not quite out of date yet and the feast he had made was making her mouth water.

A plate was pushed in front of the hungry slayer and she devoured it, not noticing Spike slip from the room. She looked up as Oz passed her a second plate and all four stopped briefly as they head the shower start again. Tiree sighed and Ryan took her hand, squeezing it tightly.

'He seems pretty tightly wound at the moment.' Oz commented, looking at Buffy. She nodded.

'He's hungry. But I daren't mention it. There's no animals round here, so he might be without for a while. It's all well and good us getting rest, food and clean clothes but...he's the best fighter I know. If we get to Washington and he has nothing to go on, he'll drop like a stone.' She pushed at her spaghetti with her fork.

'Why don't you...' Tiree started and then trailed off, shaking her head. 'Never mind. It's too dangerous.'

'I already thought about it. I don't think he'd take it.' Buffy said quietly. 'No matter how much he wanted it in the past, I don't think he'd risk it now. Somewhere down the line, Spike went and got all honourable.'

Oz smiled. 'Maybe he was before, just not in a way that benefited anyone but himself.'

Buffy looked at the wolf for a second and then smiled. 'Guess you're right, Oz. He's always been a funny kind of vampire.' She started eating again and looked towards the doorway as a low noise started vibrating through the house. The other three followed her gaze as she started to giggle.

'For one, most vampires don't sing in the shower.'

-I-E-H-

The storm had only gotten worse, and Spike watched the lightening play across the sky as he stood on the porch of their temporary home. He hadn't scented or smelt anything out of the ordinary so far, and was letting his mind wander a little.

Had things changed so much? He barely recognised the person he had become. He fought for the side of good, one of the last of his kind. He was travelling with the Slayer of all people...but god how he had missed her. Her light, her strength, her sarcastic quips...Drusilla would be laughing at him right now. If she wasn't burning in hell.

He didn't know what was to become of them, this small group of people in this abandoned house with it's overgrown yard. Right now, the four in the house slept soundly, probably for the first time in years. Spike could undeniably say he liked Oz. He was a funny and stoic bloke, who often knew exactly what was going on but didn't say anything. Ryan had a hint of the whelp Buffy used to hang about with, which he knew upset her sometimes. Tiree was a strange girl, she was liked aged innocence, but with attitude. Reminded him of the first time he fought Buffy, when she was still wet behind the ears.

Before she lost everything.

He tried to stop thinking for a minute. It hurt to try and make sense of all his feelings now. It confused him. He knew he didn't hate the Slayer anymore, and contrary to what he had said to Oz a few days previous, he did not want her dead. He worried about her, was concerned for her.

He'd spent two years thinking about her and worrying about her every move.

God it was so wrong.

A sound from inside the house had his thoughts stop midflow. He moved inside the front door as quick as the lightening he had been observing, and stood, listening. Oz was snoring softly, the two teens breathing lightly as they slept...Buffy was tossing and turning and...

Whimpering.

Whimpers turned into a scream.

It was mere seconds before he was at her side, scooping her up and holding her as she thrashed against a nightmare, shouting and screaming, pounding her fists against his chest. His hearing let him know the other occupants were awake now, Oz appearing in his line of sight a few moment later, then disappearing again when he saw they were not under attack. He shut the door behind him, giving the vampire and Slayer some privacy as he roused her from her nightmare.

'Spike?' She gasped out, fisting his t-shirt in her hand, tears soaking the fabric. 'I thought you were...' She stopped, shaking her head. He sighed, running his hand through her hair, kissing her head and holding her tighter.

They remained like that for what seemed like hours, her breathing and occasional sniff the only noise in the room.

When she pulled away, she looked up at him, wiping her face with the sleeve of the t-shirt she had worn to bed.

'I'm sorry.' She whispered.

'What for, pet?' He asked, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. 'You had a nightmare.'

'I got your clean shirt all wet.' She glanced at the closet. 'Now you'll have to raid the closet again, and there might not be another black one.' He chuckled at her observation and rubbed her arm with his hand.

'I'm sure I can live with another colour, Buffy.' He stood up, looking towards the door. 'Why don't you get some more sleep. It's still raining out, storm isn't passing any time soon. We'll be here another day or so I reckon.'

She was silent, staring at him, and he cocked his head to the side.

'Buffy?'

The Slayer looked at him and then to the bed, dropping her hands into her lap as she fiddled with the ring she still wore on her left hand. She didn't even remember where she got it from – it would probably hurt too much to try.

'Will...will you stay here with me please?' She asked quietly. He paused, frowning at her slightly before relaxing and nodding. Buffy moved over and pulled the duvet back so he could climb in, he removed his shoes and t-shirt, leaving the jeans on, before slipping in and gathering her up in his embrace, holding her tight. He warmed quickly under the duvet and she sighed, snuggling down into his embrace.

A few moments passed and a knock on the door had Spike shifting against her. Oz's voice filtered through. Buffy couldn't make out the words but Spike replied with a brief 'no worries, mate' and returned to his original position. Buffy shifted her head in question.

'He said he's going to take watch, the kids have gone back to sleep.' He murmured into her hair, tightening his hold on her briefly.

She nodded and for a while they were silent, her breathing uneven so he knew she wasn't asleep. It didn't take long for her to turn over. They stared at each other, blue eyes clashing with hazel, and her hand travelled up to touch his face. He closed his eyes against her touch, and didn't open them again, even when she leaned forward and kissed him, tentatively, on the lips. He didn't open his eyes when she deepened the kiss and her arms snaked round his neck, pulling him closer. He still didn't open them when she stopped kissing him on the lips and her mouth moved to his neck.

He only opened them when she bit down softly, his demon face flying to the fore and he stiffened. She stopped and frowned, pulling back and watching him struggle for control. 'You're hungry.' She whispered. He nodded, his two faces fighting for dominance as he gulped. Buffy kissed him again, feeling his fangs explode through his gums. He growled a little and then tried to pull away from her, but she held him still. He was near starved, the expired blood from a few nights ago had not lasted him long at all, so his strength was no match for hers.

'You won't last much longer without blood, Spike.'

'I can make do.' He whispered.

'No you can't. And my blood is stronger, you'll only need a bit.'

'Not risking it.' He tried to pull away again.

'Don't pull the macho bullshit on me, mister.' Buffy stopped his struggles. 'I know you won't hurt me. I trust you, Spike.'

Those words hit something in him. A part of him rebelled at the fact the Slayer trusted him, but the world had changed so much it didn't matter. The majority of him couldn't be happier at her declaration. But she was asking too much of him. He didn't know if he could hold back enough not to hurt her.

'Spike.' She whispered, pulling him closer, kissing him again, 'You need to feed.' She didn't know quite what she was doing, or where this was going. But in all the angst of the past years, they both needed a little comfort.

She peppered his face with kisses and then moved down to his neck again, feeling his considerable arousal against her stomach. She left it a few seconds and then bit down softly on his neck, waiting for a response. He went rigid again, so she bit harder.

Like a flash, he had her underneath him. He kissed her hard, his hands somehow everywhere on her. She groaned and tried to get him to feed again but he wasn't having any of it. He snarled at her and pinned her wrists.

'I will _not_ hurt you, Buffy.' He said, quietly but firmly. She went to protest and he shushed her, kissing her hard. 'We do this my way, or not at all.' He smirked at her and she felt hot all of a sudden, nodding her consent as he moved down her body, kissing her all the way. She'd only gone to be with a t-shirt and panties on, and the panties didn't stand up to an assault from a vampire. She was fairly certain she'd be raiding the other closet again too.

Spike settled between her legs, his fingers trailing patterns over her skin and making her ache and shudder with every touch. He smirked as he trailed his tongue down her pelvic bone, feeling her arc into his mouth as he touched the tip of her womanhood. Slayer strength killed the bedsheets as she twisted her hands in the fabric, tearing it. His tongue was working some kind of magic over her body as she tossed and turned, gasps and groans music to his ears.

It didn't take long for her to reach her peak and she arched almost completely off the bed, Spike's touch driving her insane, her brain whiting out at the sensations she was feeling. So lost in bliss was she, that she didn't even feel his fangs penetrate her leg, and the bloodloss only caused her to float for ages on her orgasm.

As she lay there in a raptured state, Spike crawled up the bed to lay beside her, his skin hot from her blood and the contact between them. She could barely think straight. Well, she could only think one thing.

She was definitely going to sleep well now.

* * *

A/N: I'm not sure how this went. I don't want them to go too fast, but Spike's pretty much a sexual person and he's been without for so long, it might be hard for him to hold back lol and Buffy could certainly use a bit of the ol' how's your father. Guess we'll have to see how this pans out for me. Please don't be too disappointed if I can't post a chapter every week, I am trying to get these done, but in between looking after a three-month-old and trying to lose weight, whilst running a house...well, RL is pretty busy!


	5. Chapter 5

AU from Primeval, the story so far: As Buffy faces off with Adam, the spell is performed but the demons break through. Buffy gets distracted and tries to save her friends, but fails. Spike gets her out and they escape, parting ways. Years later they meet again, and travel together on their way to fight Adam in Washington and end the worldwide tyranny of the cyborgs. They meet a young couple who aide them in the fight and have an Oz travelling with them too. Having taken much needed rest and shelter in an abandoned house in Wilmington, Buffy and Spike shared an encounter that will no doubt change their relationship forever...

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

I-E-H

Buffy woke up slowly, her eyes taking a few moments to adjust to her surroundings and her mind catching up the events of the past few days. She'd been dreaming of a time she could never recover, being back in high school with her friends.

God she missed them so much. Now more than ever.

She ignored the tears that started to prick at the corner of her eyes and turned her attention to the fact that she was alone in the bed. She'd fallen asleep curled up in Spike's arms but now she was alone. Normally she would feel the usual abandonment that came after an encounter like they'd shared but somehow she knew Spike wouldn't be far. And besides, dragging herself out of the warm snuggly duvet she was wrapped in would take more willpower than she thought she could muster right now.

The door creaked open and the smell of cooking food wafted through. Her stomach rumbled and she groaned as her bladder decided to simultaneously argue with her decision to stay in bed. Oh, she didn't want to move.

Eventually she moved from underneath the cover, finding a bathrobe left on the nightstand for her and she smiled, knowing exactly who had left it. He might have once been an evil vampire, intent on ripping her heart from her chest, but right now, he was nothing but her saviour. The thought made her giggle and then she ran for the bathroom, her body telling her not to do so would be a mistake.

After freshening up and heading into the kitchen, she found Oz busy cooking something over the stove and the other two sat together munching on whatever culinary creation the werewolf had made. All three occupants smiled at the Slayer as she entered and she sat down, frowning at the lack of vampire in the room.

'Where's Spike?' She asked, as Oz dumped a plate of scrambled egg and sliced meat in front of her.

'He went for a walk.' Tiree said, with a mouthful of her breakfast.

Buffy looked at the girl in horror. 'It's daylight out!'

'Not so much. Still storming.' Oz said. Buffy relaxed visibly. She knew Spike well enough to know he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but she worried all the same. She looked down at the breakfast and frowned.

'Where did you get eggs and meat?' She asked, looking at Oz as she pushed her food around with a fork.

'You'd be surprised what they can make last longer. The eggs are dehydrated or something. And the meat is corned beef. Comes in tins and has the shelf life of a cockroach.' He smiled and sat down with his own plate.

Buffy was so hungry she didn't actually care, and she had to admit that the food was delicious. She'd been living on nothing for so long that to have a full stomach felt better than anything she could imagine at the moment. Except…well…that.

Tiree looked up as she finished her food. 'Spike looked better this morning. Did he find some animals?'

Buffy nearly choked and she stopped eating briefly. 'I dunno. He seemed okay. I guess.' She looked down as she continued eating, missing the knowing look that passed between Tiree and Ryan. Oz ignored the exchange and only looked up when the front door opened and a rather wet vampire trudged in.

'Up for a walk Slayer?' He asked as he walked in, shedding his wet clothes.

'I thought we were staying here a couple days? Or at least, until we aren't safe anymore.' She said, looking at him questioningly. He smiled.

'No, we're staying here a while longer. It's stopped raining though, and I just thought you'd like to see something.'

Buffy frowned, and looked at the rest of the group, who were still more interested in their food. She chewed her lip, thinking and then nodded. 'Okay then. If you're sure there's nothing around here that would pose a threat.'

'Not for a good few miles. Come on, finish your brekkie, get dressed and we'll head on out. I'm sure this lot can occupy themselves for the day.' Buffy watched him leave the room and then turned back to her breakfast, smiling to herself.

Funny, she seemed to be doing a lot of that recently.

I-E-H

'So where exactly are we going?' Buffy asked, thrusting her hands in her pockets. The fall weather was a little on the nippy side, and she had found a big unflattering coat to keep her warm on their little excursion. So far they'd been walking for about half an hour and she had no idea where they were going.

Spike turned his head to her and smiled. 'It's a surprise.'

'Just tell me it's somewhere dry.' Buffy said, pulling her coat tighter in the soft drizzle that had begun to plague them as they'd left the house. The vampire just tapped his nose and carried on walking. The Slayer sighed and following, wondering exactly what he had up his sleeve.

They turned a corner and headed for a big building, all shut up and seemingly run down. Abandoned cars littered the parking lot in front of it. Buffy frowned, surveying shattered windows and litter everywhere. Then she saw something that made her heart skip a beat.

'A mall? You're taking me shopping?'

Spike paused, wondering if this had been a good idea, until he found himself with an armful of Slayer. She was practically crying with joy and he grinned widely, pulling away and rubbing the back of his neck in a somewhat shy manner.

'Yeah well, I thought you could use a bit of time….not being the Slayer. Plus, don't have to pay for anything.' Buffy smiled up at him brightly and then thrust herself at him, kissing him hard on the lips before breaking away, and then sprinting towards the shops she'd missed so much.

He stood in shock for a few minutes before taking off after her.

When he caught up, she was staring into a display of mannequins, some of which were still standing. A red sweater hung off of one of the dolls, plain with long sleeves and a v cut neck. He certainly approved of the colour. Buffy's eyes had glazed over, like a vampire that had smelt blood and he could have sworn she was drooling. 'New clothes' she whispered, her eyes picking out items she would have worn to the Bronze once upon a time. He knew she would go for sensible clothes but it still wouldn't hurt for her to have some nice new stuff.

She whipped out of his sight again and he followed with a smile on his face, through the hole in another broken window. They found themselves in a department store and Spike found himself almost chuckling at the first thing she went for.

She was in the lingerie section.

'I haven't had new underwear in sooooo long' she shrieked, clapping her hands excitedly. 'A new bra would be like a dream to me'. He smiled and jumped up on top of a display to watch her as she ran around in excitement, picking out a few plain bits but also some more exciting stuff. He wondered briefly if she would model them for him, but thought better of asking – for the sake of his nose if anything. Then another thought struck him and when Buffy turned around, he had disappeared.

She called for him, wondering where on earth he had gone and then she spied something else to add to her growing pile of new clothes. She picked up the item in question and smiled. Plain black. That would work.

Spike reappeared a moment later and frowned at what she was holding.

'Why did you get those? We can find you some jammies if you'd rather-'

'They're for you, doofus.' She said, a sly smile on her face as she held up the plain black Calvin Klein boxers.

'I don't wear underwear.' He said flatly.

'You will if you're in my bed, mister.' Ignoring the shocked look on his face, she wrinkled up her nose at the package he had in his hand. 'What's that?' He stared for a second and then looked at what he was holding, having to replace his brain where it should belong quickly. He held up the backpack he'd retrieved from the camping department and shrugged.

'Figured it'd be nice for us to take some clean clothes with. We can find medical stuff here too, I wager. Maybe some more food. I can carry quite a lot. If we get more backpacks, we could replenish our entire stock.'

'We should get some more comfortable clothes for Tiree. And a new coat.' She squealed again. 'This is like Christmas. Thank you Spike!' Without warning, she flung her arms around his neck tightly. Spike wasn't quite sure how to reciprocate and stood there awkwardly until she let go, sliding away from him with a shade of embarrassment on her cheeks.

'Sorry.' She whispered. The vampire shrugged. 'Look…..' She paused, looking around uncomfortably. 'I don't know what this is between us….I don't know if it's right or wrong but…'

'You don't have to say anything Slayer. I know what I am. I know it couldn't work.'

'But it could.' She blurted out. 'I mean….this world is so different now. It's scary and horrible. But since you turned up…it's been better. Bearable. You're not the Spike I remember.' He watched her carefully as she spoke. Buffy rubbed her arm and looked shyly away from him. 'I like you now.'

Spike smirked. 'Let's get you some new gear yeah?' He said, changing the subject and moving to collect her pile of undergarments. 'We don't need to discuss this now. We have shopping to do.' Buffy smiled as he turned and headed for the next department, feeling more alive than she had since she'd fought Adam. Then she skipped to catch up with her vampire and hooked her hand in his, ignoring the look of surprise and instead sinking into a slight feeling of normalcy as they "shopped".

I-E-H

They had all eaten another hearty meal, cooked by Oz and were now sat in the living room of the abandoned house. The boys were happily playing a game of poker with a pack of cards Spike had found at the store. Buffy and Tiree had cleaned up after the meal and were currently packing the rucksacks, ready in case they had to leave suddenly. It may not have been the life she lived before, but for the first time in a long time, Buffy had a sense of security and family with this rag tag band of demons and humans. Even if none of them were truly human.

Spike had had the bright idea of stealing a shotgun and shells from the department store. He'd said that whilst shotguns were "bloody useless overall" they did slow the demon hybrids down and the hollow point shells he'd located, with the handy aid of vampire strength to break into the storage locker, would quite easily take a limb off if aimed properly. She didn't agree with guns and refused to touch one but Oz had some experience with a gun and so did Spike.

Buffy wasn't surprised at that. Spike could handle any weapon.

They'd even managed to find hunting equipment and Buffy had reminisced of a moment she had shared with Faith so long ago, when she'd taken whatever she wanted. Now, with the freedom to do so, she'd got herself a pretty new crossbow with plenty of arrows. She was even slightly excited at the prospect of a fight to try it out. Stakes used to be her primary weapon but they didn't go through metal and whilst her machete would always be close to her heart, she did like a good long range weapon.

The backpacks were distributed evenly, except for Spike's. He had a bigger one as he insisted he could carry more. She was still concerned about his lack of blood supply but had no doubt they could solve that problem later. The thought of their previous encounter whipped up strong feelings in her stomach and Spike's head whipped round when her feelings caught up with his nostrils. He smiled and turned back to his game of poker as Buffy blushed and continued packing her own bag.

When they'd finished, Spike announced that he was going for a cigarette. He'd found a massive supply in one of the shops at the mall and Buffy hadn't been able to deter him. Well, she hadn't tried very hard. It wasn't going to kill him and it would probably chill him out a bit.

Ryan and Tiree said they were going to bed and Oz said he would not be far behind. Buffy waited for them all to leave and then darted into her bedroom. She bent down under the bed and pulled two items of clothing out – a couple of things Spike hadn't seen her tuck into the pockets of her trousers.

She hadn't been lying with what she had said to him. She didn't see why they couldn't be together. Where was the harm in grabbing some happiness in this harsh and evil world? Even if the creature she wanted to grab happiness with was a former nemesis of hers.

She heard the front door click quietly and quickly changed, ducking under the covers and waiting for her bedroom door to open. When it didn't, she frowned. A few more minutes passed and she became impatient. Hadn't she made herself clear enough? Stupid vampire.

She got up and pulled on a dressing gown that probably belong the woman of the house before it was abandoned. Then she padded out into the hallway and headed for the living room. Spike wasn't in there. He was in the kitchen, sat at the counter.

His head was in his hands.

'Spike?' She whispered, approaching softly. He startled, obviously he had been lost in his own thoughts or he would have heard her. 'What's wrong?'

'What? Oh. Nothing.' He said, clearly lying. But she wasn't going to press him. Instead she smiled.

'Well, whatever it is, I bet I can cheer you up.' She whispered, untying the robe slowly. Spike gulped, which would have made her giggle if she wasn't trying so hard to keep her composure. The robe fell open; Spike's mouth wasn't far behind it.

'When did you….' He span to face her fully, arousal evident and grinned. 'You saucy little minx.'

'I figure we all need to find something to fight for. And there isn't much to be happy for in this world. Bonus that you being happy isn't a problem.' She said, walking slowly towards him.

'Buffy…' He said in a gasp as she ran her hand up his leg. 'I don't have a soul, pet. I'm not….'

'You're not Angel. I don't want you to be Angel.' She pressed her forehead against his. 'You don't need a soul. You've been fighting all this time….I think you're more than good enough for me.' She took his hands and he stood, almost as if hypnotised, following her as she led him into the bedroom.

As she pushed him on the bed and shut the door to the rest of the world, Spike could have sworn his heart took a beat.

I-E-H

Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up and that it's short. My little girl is charging about everywhere and it's a full time job making sure she doesn't break anything!


	6. Chapter 6

AU from Primeval, the story so far: As Buffy faces off with Adam, the spell is performed but the demons break through. Buffy gets distracted and tries to save her friends, but fails. Spike gets her out and they escape, parting ways. Years later they meet again, and travel together on their way to fight Adam in Washington and end the worldwide tyranny of the cyborgs. They meet a young couple who aide them in the fight and have an Oz travelling with them too. Having taken much needed rest and shelter in an abandoned house in Wilmington, and shared an experience that gave Buffy an almost normal sense of life again, she finds herself taking happiness in both hands for a change….

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

I-E-H

Spike was watching her sleep.

Wasn't the first time since he had found her again that he had done it.

Certainly wouldn't be the last if he had any say in it.

He knew deep down that she didn't love him yet. But he also knew it wouldn't take her long to get there. He'd thought about her so much since he'd ditched her at the Hellmouth and so much of him had been consumed with guilt. Spending time with Joyce had alleviated that guilt. Talking to Tara had helped. Funny how it took an apocalypse for him to finally realise what he wanted and get some real friends in the process. But he remembered the pain and trials it had taken to get to where he was now, and he knew there were more to come. Made him all the more grateful for the blonde currently resting up against him.

Last night had meant so much to him.

He hoped to high hell that it had meant the same to her.

'_I can't believe we're here.' She whispered, sliding her hands down his chest and kissing his forehead._

'_Can't believe it because it's me?' He asked, looking up at her with all the fragility of a small child._

'_Can't believe I feel happy.' She smiled, kissing away his shock._

So much pain had befallen both of them. She'd been right. They should grab whatever happiness they could with both hands. The world was so dark and harsh. Even he couldn't stand it. He didn't think he'd have made it much further without something….someone….to fight for. Now he had her.

He wasn't bloody letting go that was for sure.

I-E-H

Oz looked up as the front door opened onto the porch. The rain had stopped at some point during the night, and the sky had cleared, leaving the stars to twinkle down on the deserted earth. Spike sat down heavily on the porch, a look of contentment on his face as he lit up a cigarette. The former werewolf smiled, raising an eyebrow at his comrade. The vampire glared back.

'What?'

'Absolutely nothing.' Oz replied with his usual even tone, looking back up to the stars. For a while they sat in silence, both relaxed but alert for any danger. Spike noticed that the shotgun rested against Oz's chair, ready and cocked for any intruders. But there wouldn't be any. The town was dead, no patrols had any reason to come here.

'So how did you end up where you are?' Spike asked, exhaling cigarette smoke as he spoke. Oz didn't break his gaze from the sky, taking everything in.

'I was in New York, doing some open mic sessions when I saw what was happening. Government had no explanation, media were coming up with their own ideas. By the time I realised it was a demon thing, and related to the jerks that kidnapped me, it had spread most of the way across America. I went into hiding in upstate New York but that got overrun pretty quick. So I travelled from camp to camp, wound up at Trenton, found myself a cosy spot there. Was there for about six months before we heard that it had taken over pretty much everywhere else. I wasn't sure where to go from there.' He looked over at Spike. 'I'm glad you guys came along. Gave me something to focus on again.'

'I'm sorry we couldn't give you more.' Spike said quietly, stubbing his smoke out under his foot. Both men knew who he was referring to. Oz didn't say anything, just shrugged slightly.

Silence consumed the porch. Spike didn't know what else to say and Oz was not a talkative spirit by nature.

But right now, silence was perfect.

I-E-H

'We should move on.' Buffy announced in the morning over breakfast. The rest of the group, with the exception of Spike, who was still in bed, looked up from their food and nodded.

'I guess as nice as it is here, we can't stay forever.' Tiree agreed, putting her fork down on her empty plate. 'It won't be safe forever.'

Buffy nodded, standing with her plate and taking it to the sink. 'I'd suggest that we leave at nightfall. Everything is ready to go. Just gotta figure out the best route from here. Spike's probably the person to do that.' She looked out of the window, biting her lip. 'There's a big fight ahead of us. We've all rested and rejuvenated here, now it's time to face the fireworks I guess.'

'It'll probably take another three days to get there, two without resting.' Ryan said, pulling the map out from where it had been laying on the kitchen side. He spread it over the table and examined it. 'We could go straight down the Delaware turnpike. Might be quicker.'

'It'd be safer to cut through Newark.' Spike said, appearing in the doorway and startling Ryan from his intense staring at the map. 'Go down that way and there's more parks, back roads. Main roads will be more dangerous. I'm not expecting anything, but we can make Newark in four hours. We keep going and we can stop in Baltimore by tomorrow night, rest there and carry on to Washington. That'll be another twelve hour stretch. It's gonna push us but hopefully we'll have time to recover and plan before the big strike. Way I see it, they can't do anything with the information Tiree has anyway.' He looked at Buffy. 'But we all need to agree.'

Buffy watched him for a second, feeling a blush come to her cheeks. Then she nodded. 'He's right. We're a team. If we're all agreed, we'll set out in ten hours. Give us enough time to get everything together, have a good meal and stuff.' She looked around the room, seeing nods from the other three.

Spike moved to leave the room again, and Buffy followed, hearing the young couple start chatting together. She caught up with the vampire as he headed back into the bedroom and caught his arm.

'You had enough sleep?' She asked, looking up at him. He smiled, rubbing his thumb over her hand whilst pulling it away from his arm.

'I don't need much. Just a quick recharge. Gonna go grab a shower.' He said, nodding in the direction of the bathroom.

'That's a good plan.' She said, smiling back at him. His eyes darkened and he gripped her hand a bit tighter.

'There's not much water left.' He purred, making her feel hot and clammy in a second. 'Maybe we should share.'

Buffy stumbled for words, eventually finding none, and blushing furiously, she pushed him into the bedroom.

All the occupants of the kitchen heard was the shutting of a door and the shower turning on.

I-E-H

Ryan adjusted his backpack as he waited on the front lawn for the others. Tiree was halfway up a tree, scoping out the road ahead. It wasn't particularly necessary but he knew she loved being up so high. If her tattered wings weren't broken, he knew it'd be hard to keep her on the ground. As it was, he was kinda glad she was down on earth with him.

He'd found himself incredibly grateful for someone to fight with, and be with during the whole apocalypse issue. He understood why Buffy and Spike had connected so quickly. It was hard to be alone in this world. He knew even Oz was probably feeling it. What he had heard from the Slayer and her partner had made him feel for the small werewolf, that the only girl he had loved was one of the first casualties of war. If it had been Tiree, if he'd never had the chance to be with her, it would have broken him.

In some way, he thought maybe this war was a good thing. Buffy had seemed tense and miserable the first few days, looking like she was on a knife edge from giving up. Now she had something; something to fight for, to hold on to, maybe she would be better off for it. He hoped so. Otherwise they were all doomed.

Tiree landed next to him with a thud, then kissed him and stood beside him, taking his hand in hers. Her pack was lighter than his, mainly because he was still of the opinion that girls shouldn't carry much. Call him All-American, it was just the way he was raised.

The front door opened and Spike practically skipped out, jumping down the steps with his backpack in hand. Ryan looked him over with a half smile, watching as the vampire hefted the pack onto his back and looked at the young man. He shrugged. 'What?'

Ryan's half smile became a full smile. 'You're not limping anymore.' He said, pointing at Spike's previously injured leg.

Spike glared at him. 'Yeah, it's amazing what a bit of rest will do, innit?' His tone indicated that the conversation was over. Ryan took the hint and shut up. It was probably a wise thing to do.

Buffy and Oz quickly joined them, the Slayer slipping her hand into Spike's almost instinctively, and she looked around at their assembled group. It was an hour after nightfall, and they had to cover a lot of ground before they could rest again. By the other side of Newark, they would have to go underground, and Spike said it could take a while to find a sewer system good enough for travelling through. Not to mention, they had no idea what camps or enemies they could come across in the meantime.

'There's a storm coming from behind us.' Spike said, sniffing the air. 'We'd best get a move on. Got a couple of hours on it, but we don't want to be wet as well as tired. Best to get underground before it hits.' He looked to Buffy, who started walking, and he followed, the rest of their party close behind. They fell into a rhythm quickly, and started off up the main road.

It was going to be a long road to battle.

I-E-H

Two hours had passed and a light drizzle had begun to fall. The group had kept their formation, Oz toting the shotgun in the middle, and Tiree had been darting off occasionally to scout. She was the fastest, undoubtedly, and she used it to her advantage. They had started seeing signs for lots of parks, and there were a lot of trees around them, which made for good cover just in case. Spike was so on alert that he had dropped Buffy's hand and gone into gameface. She hadn't protested, her own sense at maximum capacity. She didn't want anything getting the drop on them. She couldn't even allow her mind to wander to the past few days and the change in dynamic between her and Spike. Happiness was one thing, allowing it to kill you was another.

Spike stopped suddenly, and Tiree appeared from her scouting, running faster. She skidded to halt and spoke in hushed tones. 'There's a patrol up ahead, coming down Main Street onto the Newport Pike. Only five. What's the plan?'

The vampire sniffed the air and looked to Buffy. 'Five hybrids, pet. If we can find out what class they are then decide. Did you see any clarification? Weapons, parts?' He asked the witch nymph. She nodded, as Ryan came to her side and Oz gathered with them.

'Looked like lower class. Minimal machinery, no special demon parts, just regular. Carrying machine guns, couldn't see what type. I can disable those. They should be susceptible to the shotgun too.'

'No. I don't want gunfire.' Buffy said, shaking her head. 'One patrol means there may be another, or a stationary point round here. Gunfire will draw more of them to us.'

Spike agreed and chewed his lip for a moment. 'Tiree, you take out the guns. Do you need to get close?'

'As long as I can see them I can do it.'

'Right. Good.' Spike pointed at Ryan and Oz. 'No heroics. Don't use the guns. Close range weapons and don't get killed. Try and let me and Buffy handle it, we're the strongest.'

The others all nodded and Spike took point, leading them towards the Newport Pike. They were only a few metres from the edge of the road, in the shelter of a car dealership when he stopped, shushing them. The mechanical demons marched by suddenly, in dull formation, walking exactly in time. Tiree shut her eyes and muttered something, before a strange breeze blew past them and hit the cyborgs. The beasts immediately stopped and turned in their direction, raising their weapons to fire. They paused when they realised they were not working and Spike roared as he charged the first of the group. It didn't take two seconds for the other to follow suit, flying into the fray with pleasure. Buffy tore apart one of the cyborgs and began to help Oz, him being the only non-superbeing there.

Within ten minutes the battle was over and Spike was assessing the damage. Their group was intact, Ryan was the only injured party with a slash to his face. Tiree was fussing over him. Buffy and Oz stood panting, and the vampire smiled victoriously. It had felt good to do some fighting. But they couldn't stop for long. The rain was getting heavier and he had a feeling that the storm was catching up them sooner than he would have liked. They needed to go underground.

'What's the plan?' Buffy asked, wiping her machete on a nearby lamppost before replacing it at her side.

'We need to get underground. There's only one way to do that. I can guarantee that one of these buildings has a basement. I'm betting on that liquor shop over there. So we try that, get underground and carry on.' As he spoke, the heavens opened and the rain drenched them. It didn't take any encouragement for all of them to run to the liquor store and break in. Spike's hunch was correct and they located the basement and a sewer access rather quickly. All five of them piled through and Ryan pushed the door shut behind them. The group turned and immediately found flashlights in their faces as they faced off with ten men, dressed in fatigues and holding guns.

'Stand down.' A voice echoed from around the corner and Buffy almost fainted. Spike baulked and paled even more.

The elder gentlemen stepped into view as the soldiers dropped their guns but not their torches. Illuminated by the lights, the man who had spoken stood in front of them, dressed in fatigues that had seen better days. One sleeve jacket was pinned up underneath his elbow, where he had clearly lost the lower part of his limb. His face was shrouded in shadow but clearly scarred, although through his disfigurement it was obvious who he was. His glasses were cracked at one side of the left lens.

But his smile had not changed.

'Buffy?'

The Slayer faltered, only Spike's grip holding her up as she stared at the face of someone she'd thought dead for two years.

'G….Giles?'

I-E-H

Two chapters in 24 hours, aren't you lucky XD I know this one is quite short too, but I wanted to get their journey on the way and this just sort of flowed. Everything will be explained in the next chapter. No promises on a time limit though. Although, reviews may make me go quicker…..


	7. Chapter 7

**AU from Primeval, the story so fa**r: As Buffy faces off with Adam, the spell is performed but the demons break through. Buffy gets distracted and tries to save her friends, but fails. Spike gets her out and they escape, parting ways. Years later they meet again, and travel together on their way to fight Adam in Washington and end the worldwide tyranny of the cyborgs. They meet a young couple who aide them in the fight and have an Oz travelling with them too. Having taken a few days rest, they moved on and have just bumped into someone Buffy never expected to see again….

**DISCLAIMER**: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

**I-E-H**

The Slayer was in a daze. She had been for the last 45 minutes, as the soldiers had led them to an underground bunker a few miles outside of Newark. Sergeant Mikels, the senior officer of the patrol unit that had been tracking the cyborg patrol they'd destroyed, explained that the bunker was built by a nervous millionaire during the Cuban missile crisis. It was massive, but the cost of building it had left the rich man destitute and he'd never been found. It was completely sealed, except for air supply, and it would take a lot for the cyborgs to find it. Buffy had been in awe when they had entered, and the others hadn't been much different.

Giles….Giles was alive. A bit worse for wear but he was alive. Two years and she hadn't known this. Why hadn't she known this? How had he escaped? Why hadn't he contacted her? So many questions. And the ex-Watcher was remaining stubbornly silent during their trip. Buffy frowned at his back as he walked in front of them, between the tents and piles of supplies in the hanger-like bunker. It must have been the height of a three storey house and the army had sectioned it off into living quarters, war rooms and storage. They had working Humvees and plenty of large explosives and guns. Buffy was definitely overwhelmed.

But for Spike, it was too much like being back in the Initiative. He was all too aware he was a vampire and that these army guys were quite likely to kill him. He kept close to Buffy, his only hope that they would see him as the ally he was. Ryan and Tiree did not seem bothered by the turn of events, but then, they could both pass for human. Although, as human as Oz was, he was still jumpy, his memories of a time in a cage too much for him to completely forget.

The group stopped outside a large sectioned off area, and the soldiers were dismissed by Mikels. Giles stood beside him, casting an impassive face over the group, his expression softening when it landed on Buffy. Mikels cleared his throat.

'We've got some spare beds in here. Living quarters are separate from each other – only fabric walls I'm afraid. This isn't the Ritz. We pair up round here. You two can stay in together – 'he pointed at Tiree and Ryan 'You can share too.' He looked at Oz and Spike. Spike made to protest but Buffy placed a hand on his arm.

'With all due respect, Sergeant, me and Spike stay together. No arguments.'

Giles frowned but nodded at the sergeant, who grimaced and pointed at Oz. 'Let's find you a bunk then, soldier.' He led the three off, whilst Buffy and Spike were left with Giles. The former librarian motioned to the doorway of the living quarters and led them through, showing them to the bunk originally left for Oz and Spike. He entered the "room" and motioned for them to sit down. The two sat quite close to each other; Buffy was leaning on Spike for all the support she could get and he was finding himself more at ease every moment.

Silence befell them. Spike shifted uncomfortably and Buffy could only stare at the father figure she thought dead. Giles' gaze flickered between the Slayer and the Vampire, his thoughts written clearly on his face. He was happy to find his Slayer – but not happy at the company she kept.

Buffy finally broke the silence, jumping from her seat and wrapping her arms around the watcher, tears spilling from her eyes as the emotion she'd kept inside since seeing him exploded out of her. She wept freely as Giles hugged her back and Spike watched the scene unfold before him, still feeling uncomfortable but feeling a lump in his throat at seeing the old guy still walking the earth.

After a few long moments of Buffy crying, she pulled away, a wet smile on her face as she apologised.

'Nonsense my dear.' Giles smiled softly and gestured for her to sit down. 'Why don't we take the time to reacquaint ourselves? I knew you had survived of course, but I wasn't sure where you were.'

Buffy nodded and spared a reassuring glance for her companion, who remained silent. 'I got out….Spike got me out. If I'd known you were-'

Giles cut her off. 'It doesn't matter. I didn't believe I had survived until I awoke several days later. But I want to hear your story first before I tell you what became of me.'

The Slayer took a breath. She desperately wanted to know if Willow or Xander had made a miraculous recovery but was too scared to ask the question. 'Spike got me out. I sent him packing and got my mom and Tara and Anya out of Sunnydale. We drove for mile. Tara and Anya are still working in camps as far as I'm aware. It's hard to keep track of anyone. I tried to get my mom out of the States but by the time we reached the coast, the cyborgs had taken over everything. Mom wanted to stay in New Orleans, she's been working with one of the bigger camps there. We keep in contact by letter, even though it sometimes takes months to get one there. I travelled about, saw Faith and Angel –' Spike stiffened at the mention of his sire '-but other than that, I'd not made any headway until Spike turned up with the news that they were mounting an offensive in Washington.'

Silence again. Giles absorbed all the information, chewing on his bottom lip thoughtfully. Spike watched him carefully, wondering how long it would take him to object to his presence in the slayer's life.

Buffy looked to Spike and then to Giles again. 'Giles….did Willow…Xander….were you the only one?'

The watcher pursed his lips and looked to the Slayer. 'After the demons broke through, I was knocked unconscious. When I woke up, I was still in that room. I didn't see either of them. I was weak, I'd lost a lot of blood but I managed to get out into the main chamber. It was carnage. There were cyborgs picking through the carcasses. I made it to the top level of the frat house before I was spotted. Even then, I managed to escape, although the damage is visible.' He motioned to his missing lower arm. 'I have no idea whether Xander or Willow made it out. I have no idea how I survived. I only got away from Sunnydale in time by hot wiring a car and trying not to pass out from blood loss. The army picked me up at a blockade just outside of the town. I have been working with them since, trying to help them understand what was going on. Not that I understand the full extent myself.'

He looked to Spike. 'I understand you have been working with Buffy. You helped her get this far? Along with the others.'

'Yeah. And I intend on seeing the mission through.' Spike tensed in anticipation of a rebuke. Giles nodded and his gaze returned to Buffy, who looked slightly surprised at his easy acceptance of the vampire in her life.

'The girl and boy that were with you – neither of them are quite human. The soldiers shouldn't notice, providing they do not bring attention to themselves. They probably would not care either way. Neither they, nor Spike, are the enemy anymore.' He stood and looked down at Spike. 'That being said, I will not tolerate any harm to come to her, Spike. I have not, nor will I ever, forget what you are.'

Spike stood up so he was nose to nose with the older looking man. 'I won't let her forget either, _Watcher_.' He put emphasise on the last word and kept his ground as the Watcher turned and left the makeshift room. Spike was almost shaking, and he sank back down onto the bed as Buffy slumped onto her back. She groaned and wiped her hands down her face.

The vampire sighed unnecessarily and then looked over at the Slayer. She was covered in dirt and blood from the fight and he raised an eyebrow at a fresh wound on her stomach. 'You could use a shower and having that cut cleaned, missy.' He tapped her knee and she wearily dragged herself to a sitting position.

'That was tough. I'm tired.' She said, looking at her vampire with bright and tired eyes.

'No chance. Shower, food, medical attention and then you can sleep. I'll even sing you a bloody lullaby.' He smiled and smoothed her hair down. 'No fighting me on this Slayer.'

'What about you? You haven't eaten either.'

'I'll keep. Go now. Before I decide to knacker you out even more.' He winked and pushed her up towards the door. She went with a mewl of protest and then smiled before blowing him a kiss and leaving. He waited for her to leave then collapsed to his knees on the floor, moving his coat to the side and revealing the gash in the side of his shirt. A jagged piece of metal protruded from it, one of the demons had got a good shot in. He'd managed to conceal it from the Slayer but he hadn't been sure just how long he could hide it. With a grunt of pain he removed the shard, blood dripping onto the floor as he did so. His shirt was now saturated, his combats sticking to his skin with the blood. The metal clattered to the floor as the curtain that served as their door was pushed to the side and Giles poked his head in.

'Buffy, I just…' The Watcher stopped, seeing Buffy was not there and catching the vampire seeing to his wound. Spike looked up like a rabbit caught in headlights and the movement made his body jerk. Blood was pouring from the wound like something out of a horror movie and his vision began to swim as the Watcher came towards him. 'Spike…'

The vampire hit the floor with a dull thud. Giles stared down at him for a second, before picking up the metal shard and inspecting it. It was barbed and wicked looking and had likely caused a lot of damage. He hadn't even noticed that Spike was injured. Buffy hadn't either, otherwise she wouldn't have left him. He rolled Spike over and pulled the t-shirt up, checking the wound. It was deep, one of the vampire's ribs was protruding, and it looked fractured. There was only one way to heal a wound this severe before he was needed to fight.

And Giles was not happy about asking Buffy for it.

**I-E-H**

'_My dark prince_.' The voice was fading in and out to him. He felt groggy and his heart pounded in his ears.

That wasn't right for one thing.

He tried to look around but found his eyes were bound. Drusilla whispered in his ear and he turned to the sound but she was gone again.

'_You fought so valiantly for me. And now you fight for her. My black prince has become a white knight_.' He rolled over, trying to push himself up but found he was too weak to do so.

'_But the ants are ruining your picnic my sweet. And their king is a tyrant bent on eating your very soul_.' She giggled and he thrashed against whatever invisible force was holding him down. His heart beat faster and he felt beads of sweat pricking on his forehead. His lungs burnt with the need to take deep breaths and he began to panic against the restriction.

Drusilla gasped and pulled him up by his hair. The blindfold fell away from his eyes and he saw her beautiful vampire visage before him as she dragged him to his feet.

'_But you don't have a soul. Do you_?' The lilt in her voice was as if she wasn't sure but before he could answer, she plunged her fangs into his throat and the heartbeat that was pounding in his ears vanished.

**I-E-H**

He awoke with a scream. He hated the nightmares. They made him feel lost and terrified. He hated being so weak and so human.

But not as much as he hated the look of fear on the Slayer's face as she gazed at him.

They weren't in their room anymore. They were in a curtained off area of a medical wing and Spike could hear the machines and people outside of where he was. Buffy's hands were clenched in the sheet underneath him. His shirt was gone and he was wearing a pair of scrub bottoms. He noted with amusement that he was wearing boxers so he guessed Buffy herself had dressed him.

He looked down at the wound on his side. It wasn't as bad as he thought it should have been, considering he passed out. He didn't feel hungry either.

'You were out for four hours. I gave you some of my blood. The wound was _really_ bad.' Buffy spoke quietly. 'Giles knows I've been letting you feed from me. He said he wasn't happy about it but that it wasn't detrimental to my health because you were taking care of me. He's been talking to mom. That's how he knows about you and your….changes. He went looking for me.'

Spike watched her. She looked exceptionally fragile at this moment in time. He raised an eyebrow in questioning and in a matter of seconds found himself with an armful of crying Slayer.

'Don't you dare ever hide that from me again. Don't let me worry like this again, you hear me?' She peppered his face with kisses and Spike was powerless under her onslaught. 'I can't lose you. I can't….I just _can't_.' She collapsed in sobs and the bewildered vampire put his arms around her, holding her tight.

'I'm sorry pet. I…it wouldn't have killed me. I would have recovered. I'm just a vampire, Slayer.' His words made her stiffen and she punched his chest lightly.

'You're not just a vampire.' She whispered, kissing him full on the lips. 'You're **MY** vampire and I'm not losing you.' She said nothing else as she put her arms around him and squeezed him, not tight enough to aggravate his wounds but tight enough to let him know her possession.

He let her. He wasn't going to argue.

Why would he when she was offering all he ever wanted?

I-E-H

AN: Another apology for delays. Having a kid, a job and a husband makes for hard work and not a lot of spare time! Been thinking about this story a lot though. This chapter was meant to highlight the growing connection between Buffy and Spike and to explain Giles' reappearance. I have a few more surprises yet. Please review, it may spur me on!


	8. Chapter 8

AU from Primeval, the story so far: As Buffy faces off with Adam, the spell is performed but the demons break through. Buffy gets distracted and tries to save her friends, but fails. Spike gets her out and they escape, parting ways. Years later they meet again, and travel together on their way to fight Adam in Washington and end the worldwide tyranny of the cyborgs. They meet a young couple who aide them in the fight and have an Oz travelling with them too. Having taken a few days rest, they moved on and have just bumped into Giles. Spike was caught out concealing a wound and Buffy was a bit pissed about it.

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

I-E-H

Spike was sleeping. She'd nearly lost him. Well, he wouldn't have dusted but the fact that he had been so badly hurt terrified her. She'd lost too many. She couldn't lose him.

She wished she could figure out what that meant.

Her vampire was sleeping and she was trying to locate some food and her Watcher. The food was the easy part. She didn't particularly enjoy the military rations but she was so hungry she didn't care if it tasted like dog poop.

That was a lie. She really did.

Giles was a bit more difficult to find but she spotted him emerging from the living quarters with a determined stride. It took about three seconds to catch up and stop him in his tracks. He smiled brightly, and she returned the affection with gusto, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him. He looked taken aback and stared at her questioningly as she pulled away, a sheepish look on her face.

'Sorry. Just missed you.' _Now if only Willow and Xander could reappear._ Her heart broke a little at the thought. If Giles had made it out, it was one miracle and they didn't often come her way. Giles smiled down at her, not sensing her sudden deflation, and then put his arm around her, continuing his walk and guiding her with him.

'We have a meeting with the general. I usually audit due to my extensive knowledge of demons and behaviour patterns. Not that anyone has a clue what these machines are up to. They're planning to move closer to DC. You're probably best off joining us so you know what is going on. I believe the general wanted some input from the Slayer herself.' He dropped his arm as Buffy nodded in agreement.

'So the final assault is getting closer?' She asked, watching soldiers walk past them with cages full of weapons and tanks of petrol for the vehicles. Giles nodded and they continued the walk in silence. Buffy couldn't keep quiet. 'I know you don't approve of this thing between me and Spike. Hell, it's understandable. Two years ago I'd be shouting at myself. But somehow, since he came back….I've found an anchor in him. He's giving me something to fight for again. I want to be happy and if he is the only thing that makes me happy in this messed up world, can you let it lie? He's not a weakness. He's an asset. And he's changed. Mom told you he had. And she's a good judge of character. She hated Angel, case in point.' Giles smiled at her and stopped walking. Buffy braked suddenly and turned to face him.

'Buffy, I have no place to berate you. You believed you had lost almost everything but you carried on. You have fought all the way, and not allowed yourself to wallow in your losses. You are an immensely gifted warrior. But….' Buffy took a breath. 'You are also a woman, a young girl in the prime of her life. You need that emotional connection. Spike may not be my first choice but at this point he is the best. He is strong, a good fighter, he's got your back and I know he has the unique ability to care for others unlike other vampires. He has always been an enigma. He earned a book of his own in the Watcher's Library for that very reason. I won't give you my blessing, because to be quite honest my dear, you don't need it. You don't need anyone's approval after everything that has occurred.'

Tears were shining in her eyes but before she could respond Giles held up a hand.

'Let's go and get this war meeting over with, yes?' She nodded and followed him through the encampment, suddenly more at ease than she had been since she'd arrived.

I-E-H

'We're about five clicks from where the John F Kennedy Memorial Highway crosses the Lower Susquehanna River.' The colonel pointed to the map. Buffy watched his finger with avid interest. They'd been stood here for about fifteen minutes, staring at a map with little markers and most of it was Danish to her. She wish they would just point her at the bad guys and let her loose with some heavy artillery. And she had no idea what a "click" was. _Wish Xander was here to translate._

The colonel continued. 'We known there's a hybrid outpost and patrols near Baltimore. We're about eighty miles out from Washington DC and we need to get through Baltimore soon. We've had a message from the camp just outside DC and they want to move soon. The plan is to mount up and head out at dawn tomorrow. These bastards are mostly nocturnal but we will still meet heavy resistance. I want to keep our casualties to a minimum. Chances are that the enemy in DC will be alerted by the presence of us so close, but I'll be damned if they don't know already.'

Buffy cleared her throat. 'They probably do know we're coming. This isn't going to be easy.'

'Which is why I'm glad you turned up when you did. We need stronger fighters, gun don't always work. I've been reliably informed that the…vampire' The word seemed to leave a nasty taste in his mouth as he said it, 'that you travelled here with is quite adept at taking out the robots. I've had reports of his aid from all over the country. I don't know about the other two you brought but they've been sparring with some of my officers. I am assuming they can take care of themselves.' He looked her square in the eye. 'I've had reports about you too. Colonel Lucas Stevens spoke particularly highly of you. I'm fully confident that with you on our side we can do this.'

Buffy gulped. That was a lot of pressure. She nodded, a bit overwhelmed by his words.

The general looked around at his seconds in command. 'So that's it. We haul ass at dawn. No stopping until Baltimore. Everyone is armed.'

The men started to file out. Buffy followed Giles, a lump in her throat.

'They've got a lot of faith in me.' She whispered.

'You have become legend, Buffy.' Giles replied.

'But this whole thing was my fault.'

Giles stopped pulled her round, his only hand gripping her shoulder almost painfully. He looked angry. 'Now you listen to me. None of this is your fault.' She made to protest. 'NO. I will not hear it. You were faced with an enemy too great to defeat alone. But you haven't stopped. This problem was created by a maniac woman with access to powers beyond her understanding. This is not and never will be, your fault.' He stopped and breathed deeply.

'I'm sorry.' He said, releasing her shoulder. 'I just hate it when you berate yourself so.' He smiled and brushed hair away from her eyes, his finger lingering on her scar. 'Go to Spike. Make sure he is healed for the morning. We have a hard road ahead of us.'

The Slayer smiled gratefully and turned away, heading for the medical bay.

I-E-H

Spike was missing. Well, he wasn't missing. He was playing beat the soldier down in the training barrack. Buffy had spent forty five minutes looking for him before she located him tossing a soldier across a room into training mats. The guy wasn't hurt but he wasn't smiling either. She frowned and folded her arms as she glared at the grinning vamped out mischief maker. He devamped and held his arms out in a gesture as if to say "What?".

'What are you playing at?' She growled. 'You're injured.'

'Na-uh.' He lifted his shirt up, revealing pale alabaster skin with no marks. A couple of female soldiers watching from the side swooned a little, until Buffy's scathing glare landed on them. 'Soldier boys wanted to spar. Wanted to fight a real demon. So I obliged.'

'They wanted to fight a real demon?' She scoffed. 'Come on then demon. Show _me_ what you've got.'

She slipped off her jacket, revealing her tank top and muscular figure underneath. Spike stuck his tongue out between his fangs and grinned. Some of the soldiers whistled and a few jeered on as if at a boxing match. The vampire and slayer circled each other, it was unclear who was the hunted in this game.

In the blink of an eye the two fighters clashed and fists and fangs became a blur. Neither were fighting to kill, just to prove a point and the soldiers looked on in awe at the perfectly matched pair. Buffy landed a kick squarely in Spike's midsection and he flew backwards with a grunt, hitting the wall. Concrete showered down around him but he got back to his feet quickly and rushed Buffy, picking her up off the floor and landing on top of her, throwing a punch to her face which she easily blocked. She flipped them over and brought her fist down sidewards onto his chest, "staking" him.

'I win' she announced triumphantly and the soldiers cheered. Spike lost the game face and propped himself up on his elbows, looking her in the eyes.

'No pet. I won.' He smiled gently and she lent down and kissed her vampire firmly. A few uniforms shifted uncomfortably and coughed, causing the two to separate. They looked at each other and in a flash were gone from sight, retreating to the relative privacy of their bunk and a night of reaffirming themselves for the battle ahead.

I-E-H

Spike awoke before Buffy did. Her breathing was soft and even with the scar down her face, she was so angelic it made his dead heart ache. He watched her for a while, aware that the sun would be rising in the next hour and they would have to get up soon. But he had to memorise her, in case the worst happen. He traced her face lightly, smiling when she wrinkled her nose. He loved that she did that. He loved the way she was a compact little weapon and yet so innocent. When they made love, she was so….there weren't words. He was never very good at articulating, no matter how hard he tried. He wasn't going to try now. He didn't want to ruin this new feeling by being a prat.

The slayer stirred and the noises of preparation from around them began to increase. Time was flying away from him. He had to wake her and get them both ready for what was coming.

He shook her gently and was greeted by foggy hazel eyes and a sweet smile.

'Hey you.' She whispered. He smiled and ran a hand down her arm. 'Is it time to go to war?' She asked, unwilling to tear her eyes away from him.

'I'm afraid so.'

Buffy sat up, and he followed suit, wishing they hadn't had to sleep in clothes. But there was little privacy here and they'd had to be quieter and gentle with each other.

There would be plenty of time for other such things afterwards.

After they won.

Yes, they would win.

His slayer turned to him and smiled again, taking his hand.

'Lets go kill things.'

A/N: This is a short one, or feels like it. But I wanted to get another chapter out. I will have this story finished soon hopefully as I've got a lot of holiday booked off work and I've got another story pushing it's way out of my brain that wants to be written. But for now, it's 0625am and I should really go to bed. Night all, reviews are always welcome


	9. Chapter 9

AU from Primeval, the story so far: As Buffy faces off with Adam, the spell is performed but the demons break through. Buffy gets distracted and tries to save her friends, but fails. Spike gets her out and they escape, parting ways. Years later they meet again, and travel together on their way to fight Adam in Washington and end the worldwide tyranny of the cyborgs. They have befriended a young couple and reconnected with Oz and Giles, and are now caught up in an army assault…..

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm British. Therefore we have motorways and they may be differently laid out than major roads in America. As I have never been there I am relying on Google Earth to get by here!

I-E-H

The sky was overcast with clouds and the humidity indicated a storm either passing over or getting ready to hit. The road was bumpy and the Jeep none too comfortable. The roads were proving hard to traverse where they had been disused for so long. Burnt out buildings lined the sides of the roads and corpses weren't hard to miss. Men sat, their heartbeats racing at the thought of going into a fight they weren't sure they could win. One young lad of about twenty gripped his gun tightly, sweat beading on his forehead and running down his pale face. He looked terrified, drawn and pale. The entire Jeep smelt of old blood, anger and fear.

But the vampire sat at the back cared only that he wasn't with Buffy. She was in the Jeep behind and he longed to be next to her. They'd only agreed to split up to share their expertise. Spike just wanted this all to be over so he could hold her in his arms again, just in case the fight in DC was the last they ever shared.

He'd been lumped in with the Watcher of course. He knew that wasn't a coincidence. Giles was wary of him, watching him with both eyes intensely as he held onto the Jeep with his one good arm. His eyes carried mistrust and hatred, both of which Spike couldn't blame him for. He'd lost his love to Angelus, and Spike's own behaviour before the robo-takeover was less than stellar. But he knew this situation was not his fault.

If it weren't for him, Buffy may not have made it out alive.

Giles knew this.

Spike knew it was probably the only reason he wasn't dust.

The Watcher cleared his throat and the vampire knew the lecture was coming. Questions about his intentions and suspicions brought forth from the past.

'Joyce told me of your work in the southern colonies.'

That was a posh way to describe a rag tag bunch of humans hiding underground. The old man was too English for his own good.

'What of it?' Spike asked, his eyes focusing on the young soldier sat in from him. The poor lad looked like he was going to shit his pants.

Giles grimaced. 'She said you had changed. I am coming to believe that she is a good judge of character. Buffy believes you are a different vampire to the one that double crossed us two years ago.'

There it was, condemnation.

'Yeah, I am.' Spike didn't particularly want this conversation. His mind was in the other Jeep.

'I'm rather suspecting that you are in love with my Slayer.' The vampire's head whipped round at that but he didn't answer, just furrowed his brow at the seemingly older gentleman. Giles nodded, a small smile catching the corner of his mouth. 'I believed as much. I also believe you are waiting for me to condemn your behaviour. You'll be waiting a long time.' Spike looked confused. Giles openly smiled. 'Much has changed in this world, Spike. And I did a great deal of reading on you when I heard you were in Sunnydale. You were openly devoted to Drusilla, and I know she was not the most faithful of women.' Spike looked away again, his mouth a thin line in the face of that knowledge. He'd known it….but it still hurt to think of his one time princess and her inability to keep her legs shut for any amount of time.

Giles cleared his throat again and continued. 'I do not believe you would pledge your love without being truthful. You are a sharp witted creature but as it has been documented, you are very ruled by your emotions. And I do not believe that the display of affection you have demonstrated in the few hours I have seen you with Buffy is a lie. You care for her. You love her. And I am hoping it will be enough to keep her alive during this fight. She needs that devotion. She needs something fight for. I was rather worrying that she would have already perished without her friends.' He leaned forward. 'Do not think that I like you Spike, or that I will ever like you. You still remain the embodiment of everything I hate.' He sat back, and the vampire eyed him warily. 'But for her sake, for her happiness….I will not be the one to destroy that which she needs to fight. To stay alive.' He fixed a steely gaze on the vampire. 'Do not disappoint me.'

Spike gulped a little. This was the Ripper he'd heard many a tale about then. He nodded slowly. 'I'd be dust before I left her Watcher. And I won't see her hurt again.'

Giles smiled in a friendly manner, and it somehow terrified Spike a little. 'Good. Now you just have Angel to worry about. He'll need more convincing than me.'

The vampire smiled and looked out the window towards the Jeep carrying _his _slayer. 'Don't worry. I'm not scared of him.'

I-E-H

The convoy of Jeeps rolled to a stop. Buffy scrambled out of her transport and stood on the concrete, staring around at the abandoned cars, some burned out, others with discarded belongings. She walked forward to an old pick up parked a few metres away, doors left open. A Transformers lunch box lay opened and a mouldy sandwich sat inside. A children's jumper, along with an old handheld console sat, dusty and broken. She felt tears prick at her eyes. She should have stopped this before it happened, saved more people than she had. This was her fault.

Strong arms encircled her from behind and she felt Spike kiss her hair as she shut her eyes to the devastation around her. She knew she had tried her best. He whispered the same words to her.

But it didn't matter. It was still her fault. People had nothing because of her. The child owner of that lunchbox never got to finish his lunch, he was probably murdered.

Because of her.

But she couldn't allow the tears to come. This may have been her fault but she had a job to do now. She had to try and save what was left of the ravaged world, save the children that did have a chance. She'd seen them in the camps and they deserved to play in the daylight, not in dried out sewers.

The Slayer turned, all steel and business once more. She gripped Spike's hand and allowed him a tiny smile, before turning her attention to the sign looming in front of them.

"Port Of Baltimore." The only words left visible on the sign. It was half destroyed. The road they had come up had been virtually unscathed, save the abandoned vehicles and the odd weed sprouting through the concrete. But the road beyond the sign was a mass of holes, burnt out cars and what looked like half rotted cyborg corpses. Sergeant Mikels approached her, gesturing to the road they were to travel down.

'We tried to make a stand here last time. Didn't go to well. We've got maybe a couple more miles before we hit trouble, thought I'd give the boys a few minutes.'

'Not a bad idea.' Spike said, standing behind his slayer but keeping his hand on her back, silently letting her know he was still there. Buffy nodded and looked to the road ahead. She spotted Ryan and Tiree investigating a different vehicle on the hard shoulder of the interstate. She called to them and they jogged over, the younger girl looking geared up for a fight.

'We're gonna scout out down by that bridge. We should be able to get a good lay of the land.' She said to the sergeant, who nodded and turned away. Buffy looked to her three companions who nodded their acquiescence and followed her as she moved. With the speed they possessed, it took only five minutes to reach the bridge. Tiree scaled a signpost and was on top of the bridge before Buffy could say anything, and within a few minutes, she was back down again.

'I can't see anything ahead. We should be clear for a while yet.'

The slayer nodded and motioned her head in the direction of the convoy. 'Let's head back then, take some time and push on. We're going to encounter resistance at some point here. Best get prepared.' She grasped Spike's hand and smiled at him fondly as the two younger fighters headed off. He made to follow but she held him back for a second, a strange look on her face. He stopped and turned to her, seemingly following her train of thought.

'Don't make this a goodbye kiss, Slayer.' He said sternly. 'We're going to get through this fight, bring these cyborgs down and live happily ever after.' He said, putting his hands on her shoulder.

'You really believe that?' She asked, her voice slightly more than a whisper. He smiled and one hand smoothed her hair down.

'If I believed anything else, I wouldn't be here.' He said, pressing a firm kiss to her forehead.

I-E-H

It was nearly ten miles before they encountered the resistance they'd been expecting. Spike had climbed on top of the Jeep and kept an eye ahead, his eyesight far keener than any else's in the convoy, save Tiree. He'd yelled as they'd been within 500 yards of the Harbor Tunnel Throughway, seeing a blockade ahead. The cyborgs were well hidden, but as the convoy drew to a stop, a single gunshot rang out from the enemy. It narrowly missed Spike as he jumped down from the Jeep, snarling, gameface in place. It didn't take long for the fight to start. He saw Buffy sprint past him, machete in her hand, surrounded by gun wielding soldiers.

Twenty demon cyborgs clambered over the wall, and were upon them in minutes. Spike saw a flash of magic as Tiree burnt two of them to a crisp. Ryan swiftly decapitated another, and Spike found himself against two opponents, trying to keep his mind on the fight, not looking for the slayer, who had managed to disappear. He punched his first opponent hard, sending him sailing backwards, but probably only incapacitated for a second or two. The second hybrid was quickly dispatched, the vampire ripped it's wire infused spine from it's body with a primal roar. He turned back to the first and rushed it, throwing it to the ground and pummelling it's head into gooey mush. He wiped his hands on his jeans and roared, a gleeful smile on his face.

A few seconds passed, the twenty demons of what was probably only the first wave dispatched.

Nothing happened.

The small army remained still, knowing it was not all the enemy had to offer. It couldn't be.

Still, nothing happened.

Then a noise sounded and Spike yelled to take cover. Seconds later, the blockade imploded and fire fell from the air. What seemed like hundreds of demon hybrids emerged from the smoke and all were thrown into the fray.

Buffy had lost sight of her vampire but she knew he would never forgive her if she became distracted. She swung her machete, decapitating one, two, three demons. These were becoming old hat now and she knew she was on the winning side. For now at least. She had no idea how many of these things were between them and the Baltimore encampment but she was full of energy and being in the fight was making her stronger every second. The small cuts and bruises she was gaining meant nothing to her, she was causing far more damage than she was taking.

She thrust her machete through the neck of another hybrid, severing his neurological unit. She didn't know that of course, she took no time to study the creatures, just knowing that the more gruesome ways of killing things usually worked. She cut a swath of fury through the fight, heading closer to the blockade. The enemy was dwindling but there were losses on her side too. A soldier fell in front of her, his throat torn out, blood seeping onto the concrete. She didn't have time to stop, and she pushed down the guilt she felt inside.

The demons were losing and they knew it. But they didn't retreat, just tried to take as many with them as they could. Another soldier fell and she recognised Sergeant Mikels….or what was left of him. She felt sadness but again, could not stop. As she used a concrete block to propel herself onto the front of a lumbering and oversized hybrid, she ripped his head clean from his shoulders and behind him, she saw Spike, disembowelling another creature. She smiled from her temporary perch and landed neatly on her feet as the corpse collapsed below her. Spike finished off his opponent and turned to her smiling in game face, his eyes twinkling with the joy of the fight.

Before long, the demons were overwhelmed and the company moved forward into the city, Jeeps following slowly. Rockets were fired at them but none of the vehicles received incapacitating damage. Before long they were at the harbour, where it seemed the hybrids had formed a hive of sorts on a large military vessel. The boat was badly damaged but afloat. Whilst a few soldiers dispatched the remaining hybrids, they decided not to worry about scouring the city and the colonel sent in teams to sweep the boat. By the time night fell, the hybrids were eliminated.

The colonel decided they would set up camp for the night, as the storm that had threatened seemed to be passing. Buffy and Spike had stayed side by side but could not find Giles, Tiree or Ryan. The Watcher eventually emerged from a Jeep he had been driving and embraced his slayer tightly. Spike left her side to search for the two youngsters but couldn't find them in the vicinity of the harbour area. He returned to a worried Buffy. She looked to Giles.

'Go find them,' He urged. 'The colonel will not miss you whilst we are setting up camp.'

The vampire and slayer turned and went back the way the raiding party had come. A mile back, Spike stopped and sniffed.

'Can smell the boy. He's hurt.' He took off into a run and Buffy followed closed on his heels.

I-E-H

Ryan had been badly hurt. He was in the back of a Jeep, being tended to by a physician who had been made aware of his unique stature. But they weren't sure even vamp healing could pull him through. He'd been impaled from the chest down to the hip and it would take a miracle to pull him through. Tiree was still missing and there was increasing worry on Buffy's part. Both she and Spike had retraced their steps the six miles back to the throughway and had not seen any sign of the girl. Spike couldn't catch her scent anywhere.

They'd eventually decided they both needed rest and Spike insisted Buffy get her cuts seen to. She'd said she felt fine but the overprotective vamp had pushed until she agreed. It was close to three in the morning, and the rest of the soldiers were resting up in a makeshift camp by the harbour. A perimeter had been set up and the soldiers on duty watched as the vampire and Slayer returned.

They found a spot away from the main bulk of the sleeping forces and cuddled up on some stolen blankets. Spike didn't sleep but he watched as Buffy drifted off, his arms secure around them. His mind was full of worry for the fight ahead, even after he had assured his slayer earlier. He also worried for the witch girl, knowing the longer she was gone, the worse it would be.

A/N; This went on a little longer than I thought lol please review :)


	10. Chapter 10

AU from Primeval, the story so far: As Buffy faces off with Adam, the spell is performed but the demons break through. Buffy gets distracted and tries to save her friends, but fails. Spike gets her out and they escape, parting ways. Years later they meet again, and travel together on their way to fight Adam in Washington and end the worldwide tyranny of the cyborgs. They have befriended a young couple and reconnected with Oz and Giles, and are now caught up in an army assault…..

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

Two chapters today, my little girl has stayed with her nan for a couple of days on account of all the snow and that we don't have central heating so she's staying where it's warm! As a result, no grabby little hands on my laptop and two chapters for you wonderful followers.

I-E-H

A flash of light and a human shaped lump hit the floor with a thump. A gasp of air and the figure pulled itself to its feet. A few steps, and it stumbled, hitting the ground again. Another gasp. A moan of pain.

Spike's head twisted and he lunged forward out of the trees, just in time to catch the figure as it fell to the floor.

Tiree had reappeared.

She was hurt from the fight but nothing too severe as the vampire could tell. Her wings were no longer in tatters, and strange markings swirled over her skin, almost moving as he watched them. Something had happened. But the girl was unconscious.

So he yelled for Buffy.

She came running, skidding to a halt as she saw the young girl in her vampire's arms. He stood with her, hoisting her so he was cradling her. Her head lolled against his chest and Buffy moved closer, checking her injuries as Spike had done.

'She's breathing. Heart is strong enough. But she reeks of magic. Something happened to her, pet.' Buffy looked up at the former blonde and nodded.

'We should get her back to camp. You alright carrying her?' She asked, knowing it was a couple of miles back to the makeshift campsite and daylight was not far off. They would make it, she hoped. They'd slept for half of the day, knowing that if anything happened, they would be woken for help. Spike had to take cover at sunrise, and Buffy had stayed with him, and the day was hot, which made the coolness of her vampire very welcome. As soon as night had fallen, they had returned to the hunt for Tiree, checking on Ryan before leaving. He had not yet regained consciousness but wasn't getting any closer to deaths door, at least.

They'd been out for around six hours before Spike had suggested they split up for an hour. It had been only thirty minutes when she heard his shout. They were outside a small park in the centre of Baltimore and it hadn't taken even a few minutes to reach him.

They headed back to the camp in silence, the Slayer mesmerised by the patterns on the girls arm that seemed to move. 'What do you think did this? Her wings aren't ripped anymore.'

'I know. And they feel right weird, I can tell you now.' Spike said, wishing for a cigarette. The camp was in sight and he was glad, he hated how things got heavier the longer you carried them. Tiree was beginning to stir and he picked up the pace.

Once back at the camp, they took their rescue into the same tent as the medical jeep was backed on to, checking on Ryan once more. He was still unconscious, but the girl opened her eyes the second she was laid down near her boyfriend. She sat bolt upright, her eyes a strange violet colour.

'Buffy.' She whispered, and the slayer came to sit next to her.

'Tiree. What happened to you?'

'I….I don't know. I was fighting a demon, I killed it, and something hit my head. I felt the floor, and something was coming at me with a blade. But then….all I could see was clouds. But not like, normal clouds.' She shook her head. 'Something spoke to me. Said I needed everything I was left for the fight. And then there was pain.' She squeezed her eyes shut. 'They said that the last slayer could not claim victory alone, that she had to be joined with the darkness to defeat the unnatural. That she needed to be linked to that which was her opposite in everything except the core of her true being.' She shivered. 'They took away my human weaknesses.' She whispered and then stiffened as she saw who was laying in the jeep behind Spike. 'Ryan?'

The vampire moved out of the girls way as she rushed to her boyfriend. 'What happened to him?' She cried, her hands ghosting over his skin.

'He got taken down. We didn't see it happen. The doctors are doing everything they can.' Buffy assured the girl, resting a hand on her shoulder.

'I should have been there. I could have saved him.' Tiree said, her hand gripping Ryan's.

An ethereal light glowed through the strange patterns on her skin and she grimaced as it grew stronger. Spike pulled Buffy away, blinking at the almost blinding light. Buffy buried her head in Spike's shoulder to shield her eyes and waited for it to disappear. As the vampire watched, the light engulfed the half breed boy and the deep wound that was threatening his life healed up. He didn't wake, but Tiree stopped glowing finally and dropped Ryan's hand with a shriek.

'What the hell was that?' She exclaimed, looking at her own hands.

Buffy looked up at Spike and smiled. 'I'm going to go and find Giles.'

I-E-H

_"The last slayer can not claim victory alone, she must be joined with the darkness to defeat the unnatural. She needs to be linked to that which is her opposite in everything except the core of her true being."_ Giles repeated the sentence and frowned.

'I'm the last Slayer?' Buffy asked.

'I would imagine there are very few potentials left in the world. The Council is probably gone. There aren't many people left.' Spike said, wishing for the millionth time that day that he had a cigarette. Being a good guy was too stressful.

'Yeah, but Faith…she's…is she dead?'

'I don't know Buffy.' Giles replied. 'I have had little or no contact from anyone, bar your mother and that was only in the last month.' He sighed. 'We need to figure out this prophecy.'

'I thought prophecies came from books?' The slayer asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. 'And we have a distinct lack of books.'

'I know.' The ex-librarian said wistfully. 'One thing I truly regret.' He looked over towards the medical tent. 'How is the girl?'

'She's confused. Fine, but confused. Ryan woke up about half an hour ago.' Buffy replied, looking in the same direction as the watcher. 'Speaking of, it's nearly sunrise, hadn't you better get under cover, Spike?' He nodded, but didn't leave her side. 'I need some rest too Giles. I heard that the colonel wants to push on to DC tomorrow. We've got forty miles to cover.'

Giles nodded. 'Our camp is at the White House, which is roughly three miles from the Pentagon where the hybrids have established control. We still have to figure out how to cross the river as the bridges are heavily fortified.'

Buffy looked bewildered. 'We're going to the White House?!' She jumped up and down. 'I've never been. Think they'll let me in the Oval Office?' She asked, excitedly. Spike smiled, but his fatigue showed in his eyes.

'Go and get some rest Buffy, I will speak with Tiree and see if we can figure out this riddle.' Giles smiled and waved her off with the vampire, turning his attention to the prophecy the girl had brought back from wherever she had gone in the first place.

I-E-H

_She'd never heard the voice before. It was soft and feminine and she felt calmed by it, not knowing the language it spoke. But she was comforted._

_Until she realised she was alone._

_She was sure she had gone to sleep on the cool marble of Spike's chest, hidden from the rest of the camp and the overbearing sunshine. His hand had been linked with hers and she was calm inside, which hadn't happened much in the last two years. Maybe Baltimore had been too easy a win, maybe they weren't going to make it after all. Had she let Spike build up her hopes too much in this war? Was she setting herself up for a major fall?_

_The voice changed and she understood the language it was speaking._

_Death is your gift. Life is your gift. The true path is found within an enemy's heart._

_She felt confused. How could life and death be her gift? Her enemy was Adam. She knew his power source was the key. That destroying him would take out all the others. But it was destroying him that was the problem. The spell that they had used before had failed and had been lost anyway. She couldn't attain the power she needed to kill him._

_She was going to die._

_Was that such a bad thing?_

Buffy awoke with a start and immediately scolded herself for thinking that way. But then she thought back to the words in her dream. She recalled something she'd read once in that stupid _Vampyre_ book that had haunted her teenage years. About bonds between vampires. More specifically, the claim. She'd read it several times, and looked at the pictures again and again. In her immature fantasies, she had imagined Angel would ask her, and they would be together forever.

She was such a stupid kid back then.

She had stopped caring about Angel. She wondered what had happened to Riley. But right now, she l-

Was she ready to even say it in her head? She certainly wasn't ready to say it to him. Worried he'd laugh at her, and tell her not to be stupid. She knew he could love, had witnessed it first hand with his tenderness and affection for Dru. He had cared for her, certainly cared about her, but did he love her?

She was too scared to ask.

She sat up and looked down at the sleeping vampire. He was breathing in her sleep, which seemed funny to her. He always behaved so human, even in the face of extinction. He and Angel could very well be the last vampires left on earth and they could not be any more different. This soulless creature before her, so willing to lay down his life for love. Angel would rather walk away and self-flagellate. Spike would never abandon her until death took him from her.

Yes, he loved her. She didn't need to ask. It was written all over his face.

Did she love him?

She thought, perhaps she did.

Now she just needed to know if it was enough.

I-E-H

Giles watched the sun set over the harbour, ignoring the sounds of the army camp behind him. His remaining hand rested over the almost obliterated fence as the sky darkened above him. He heard Buffy approaching, and smiled as she stood next to him and sighed.

'I'm in love, Giles.' She said, looking out towards the setting sun and the beauty of the colours splayed across the sky. This, Adam could not destroy. He had nothing with which to obliterate the beauty of this planet.

'I'm well aware of that fact, my dear. Have you told him?' The watcher asked, turning to the slayer, seeing her face lit up with the suns dying moments.

'No.' She said, not making eye contact. 'Because if I did, and he died, it would tear me apart.'

'What if I told you that meeting Spike was destined? That you two are an unstoppable force that will save this world?' Giles asked, waiting for her reaction.

'I'd tell you I'd already figured that out and it just scared me more. I don't want an epic love. I just want to be loved.' She spoke softly. She knew what he was going to say to her. He'd figured it out like she had. Somehow, linking her own soul with Spike would enable her to defeat Adam.

'What if it is the only way?' She whispered. 'I don't like not having a choice in these things.'

'I guess then you have to ask yourself, if further down the line this would have been something you had chosen for yourself?' Giles replied. Buffy chewed the inside of her mouth thoughtfully.

'I don't know. There's so much bad blood between us. But he somehow brought me back to life when he came back. He was never far from my mind before. I always wondered about him. Wondered how far he'd gotten. Mom told me he was there and others mentioned him. I never realised how important he was. But claiming….it's a forever thing. What if he doesn't want it?'

'I can assure you Buffy, Spike would not leave you. He doesn't have the capability to stop loving someone once he decides he cares for them. He probably still cares for Drusilla. He wouldn't acknowledge it on a conscious level and certainly not to you, but he is a unique demon.' Giles looked out over the water again, watching the final dip of the sun below the horizon. 'He will be awakening soon. Go to him. Be honest with him. If it comes down to it, we will find another way to defeat Adam.'

Buffy looked at her watcher, noting how aged he looked in the fading light and wishing things had been better for him, before throwing her arms around him in a hug and turning back to the camp. It was only fair they decided together which path to take.


	11. Chapter 11

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

A/N: I've got a definite knowledge of where this story is going now. I would just like to say thank you to all the people who have followed and who have reviewed, it means a lot! This chapter is less action, more talky, I've been writing it to the tune of November Rain.

I-E-H

Buffy walked slowly to the campsite, knowing that Spike was already awake. He rose as the sun set, like the moon and just as pale. She giggled at her own little attempt at poetry but stopped as the vampire emerged from his hidey hole, dressed in old fatigues. He looked over to her and smiled, that crooked smirk that seemed to melt her inside. She'd always found him attractive, even when he was her mortal enemy. He had that bad boy, lick-me-from-head-to-toe look. And she really, really wanted to but it would probably be very hard to find whipped cream in this destroyed world.

A small voice in her head made an offhand comment about twinkies but she ignored it.

Spike swaggered towards her, and she smiled, motioning that they should head off. Under the pretence of searching for straggling hybrids, the two supernatural beings passed through the guard and out into the deserted streets of the city, hand in hand but without speaking a word to each other.

They were four blocks from the camp before Buffy spoke up.

'Giles figured out the prophecy. He also think that wherever Tiree got sucked to, it was the Powers That Be. They've sent this to us. And they restored her powers to what they should be.'

'Is she still human?' Spike asked, thinking of how Ryan would feed otherwise.

'The doctor said he couldn't find anything abnormal about her blood. She's just…supercharged.' Buffy said, dropping Spike's hand as she peered into a grocery store. 'Do you think they have any candy? I haven't had a Hershey in so long!' She exclaimed and then moved to the door. She jiggled the handle but couldn't get it open and pouted at the vampire.

Spike swiftly smashed the door window and reached in, opening the door from the inside and holding it open for his lady. She curtsied and went inside, waiting for him briefly before they scouted the store. It was deserted. Spike located some candles and a lighter, and as Buffy stood picking out chocolate bars, he lit the candles and placed them along the aisle, giving them some light. He then pulled some blankets off of a shelf in the houseware aisle and returned, placing them on the ground. Buffy retrieved some juice boxes and they sat down, Spike leaning against a shelf with Buffy up against him. She helped herself to a small pile of chocolate, the little voice in her head insisting this was stealing but the rest of her knowing it wasn't really.

Spike picked up a Mars bar and ripped the packet open with his teeth, savouring the chocolate taste.

'You eat chocolate?' Buffy asked, shovelling a handful of M&M's in her mouth.

'Yeah,' he replied. 'The stuff you got over here isn't as good as the stuff we got in England though. This Mars Bar is infinitely inferior to the ones back home.' He munched it thoughtfully. 'Will have to take you to London and try the good British menu, Slayer, you'll love it. Pork scratchings, pub lunches, proper cups of tea….' He sighed.

'You're a strange vampire.' Buffy said, swallowing her mouthful of chocolate. 'You want to take me on holiday?' She asked.

'I'd take you round the world, pet. You just say the word.'

'Would you go with me today?'

'If you wanted to leave in five minutes, I'd steal a boat and we'd be gone.' He said, meaning it. Then he slipped his hands round to rest on her waist. 'But we wouldn't. Because I would never make you turn your back on your duty. And I know that the mission is what matters to you.'

'This fight didn't have to be yours, Spike.' Buffy pulled out of his embrace and turned to face him, watching carefully as he studied her, the candlelight playing over the suddenly soft features of his face. 'You could have left any time.'

'No.' He smiled. 'No I really couldn't. I don't know how or when or why, Slayer….Buffy. But seeing you again after all that time, was the best thing that could have happened. I could have dusted, I could have given up, could have joined the bad guys, but no, because seeing you? Worth burning up in a thousand suns. Worth being alone for a million years. Just one minute of you smiling at me, just one touch of your hand on my skin, that is what I'm fighting for now. It's what I've waited for, for over a century. Dru will always have a place in my heart, but you….you are my heart, Buffy Summers and I'll be damned if anything but death is gonna tear me away from you.' He said, clasping her hand. 'And even then, I'll bloody well haunt you.'

She had tears in her eyes. She felt like launching herself at him but they had to clear everything. He had to know the truth.

'It seems so sudden.' She whispered. 'But it's not really. If I'd really, truly hated you, you'd have died when you first pissed me off. But I never did. I guess I always knew. When W…the spell happened,' she hoped he remembered, 'it hurt when it ended. I felt safe with you. I do now. No one has rescued me like you have. Even Angel didn't make me feel this way.' She took a breath. 'Giles says we were meant to be, that the prophecy Tiree came back with – we're supposed to be linked. Forever. And I need to know if we're that. The forever deal. Cos, I'm terrified. I don't want you to die. I don't want to lose someone else that I love, Spike.'

He stared, his mouth open. She'd said it. More or less anyway but he would take that any day. She loved him. Him. Spike. Of all people he never thought he'd hear it from, she'd said it. She loved him.

Peter Pan couldn't crow like he wanted to right now.

Instead he kissed her breathless. For what seemed like hours they lost themselves in the embrace, clinging on as if life depended.

Which in a way it did.

It took mountains of strength to pull away from him.

'To beat Adam, we need to be mated.' Buffy whispered. 'I read about claims a long time ago, I wasn't sure what it was about. But I know now. And I know I want that with you.' She swallowed. 'Do you want it with me?'

Spike could not have been any more humbled.

'Buffy, I would spend an eternity and more with you by my side.' He looked to the window. 'But we can't do it here. The company is moving out in the morning and this requires….a better situation than blankets on a grocery store floor.'

'The candlelight is kinda romantic.' Buffy pointed out.

'Lets get to DC first, yeah? This is the only chance we get, and even in this wretched world, I wanna make it special for you, k?' She nodded, touched by his compassion.

He pulled her to her feet. She started to follow him from the store but stopped and grabbed a couple of carrier bags. 'Let's take back as much as we can. Whatever is in date and tasty. It'll cheer the boys up.' She said, smiling. Spike smiled back, grabbing some bags himself. They filled up with as much as they could carry and then extinguished the candles.

The enemy already knew they were coming, no need to give them a massive beacon.

I-E-H

Tiree was tired. She felt exhausted, even though she had slept for hours. Ryan had begun to stir and she refused to leave his side. His injuries were healed – she'd somehow seen to that, but now she just wanted him to wake up before they had to ship out again for DC. The big fight.

She needed him awake.

Buffy appeared beside her and put something in her hand. It was a chocolate bar. Tiree smiled.

'Wanna sit down?' The girl asked and the Slayer nodded, taking the bench opposite.

'How is he?' She asked, gesturing to Ryan.

'He's healing. I gave him some of my blood. He should wake up soon. He's been twitching a lot in the last hour.' Tiree looked around. 'Where's Spike?'

'We raided a grocery store, brought back some sugary treats. He's kinda playing at Santa for a minute whilst I came to check on you two.' Buffy paused, her gaze travelling to the fully healed wings on Tiree's back. 'How are you feeling after your interdimensional trip?'

The girl shrugged. 'Okay I guess. It was freaky. This really soft voice just talking to me. I knew I was in a safe place but I just wanted to be back here you know? I must have known he needed me.' She placed her hand on Ryan's again.

'You really love him huh?' Buffy asked, her eyes lingering on their joined hands.

'Just as much as you love your vampire.' Tiree replied. 'Don't be afraid of love, Buffy. It's scary but in this world, it's the only thing they can't destroy. Even death can't break it.'

Buffy let the words sink in and then smiled, placing her hand on Tiree's shoulder affectionately. 'He'll wake up soon. Don't worry.'

I-E-H

They'd been on the road for an hour. It was daylight and Spike was sheltering under a pile of blankets. It was a time like these that Buffy was jealous of the vampire for his lack of body heat because Buffy was melting. The humidity was horrible.

As they neared Washington DC, the rain started to fall and clouds gathered. The storm that had threatened a few days earlier had come back, or had a sibling. The rain was hitting the roof of the Jeeps with an astonishing noise.

The outskirts of the capital were deserted. No patrols, nothing. They took it slow, sticking to the back roads. It didn't take long for them to be in view of the White House. Even with half the roof missing it was awe-inspiring for Buffy.

She wasn't sure how they were going to go about it though, seeing as the enemy was only three miles away and they couldn't exactly knock on the door. The jeeps ambled slowly through the roads, and cut off into a wooded area. Buffy looked confused as they lost sight of their target destination and looked to the driver quizzically.

'You'll see in a minute, ma'am.' There was a twinkle in his eye, and she felt good that the soldiers were retaining hope in this difficult time.

Then she caught on to what he had said.

'Ma'am?' The Slayer looked horrified. 'Do I look like a ma'am?'

A chuckle emerged from the pile of blankets next to her and she kicked the laughing vampire with her foot. The soldier smiled in the rear view mirror at her.

'S'just a title of respect, nothing reflecting your age, which is probably a good deal less than my number.' His southern drawl had a tone of humour about it. 'Ma'am.'

Buffy folded her arms and scowled. She knew Spike was still laughing at her – she could see the blankets shuddering. She aimed another kick at him. He snorted.

'Stupid vampire.'

The daylight suddenly disappeared and Buffy's gaze flew to the window. Spike pulled a corner of the blanket down and peeked out apprehensively. 'Where are we?'

The driver replied without turning his head. 'You're safe to come out now. The command centre is underground. We've accessed it from a tunnel in a multi-storey carpark about two miles out. It'll be dark from here on.'

Spike threw the rest of the blankets off and plonked himself down next to the Slayer.

'I guess we're nearly there.' Buffy whispered.

'You ready for this? Seeing everyone?' She knew what he meant, knew he was referring the rest of the supernatural crowd. Knew he specifically meant Angel.

'I'm not gonna lie. Not looking forward to the tension I just know is gonna require a knife. But at the same time….we need him. Need his strength.' She took her vampire's hand and squeezed it gently. 'But he won't change my mind. He's of the past. I always love him, but it's _you_ I'm in love with, Spike. It's _you_ I'm choosing this path with. It could never be him. I could never trust him enough.'

Spike's heart could have beat at that moment as he gazed at her. And then he smiled, kissing her hand clasped with his. 'You wait, Slayer. We'll be an unbeatable team, you and I.'

Buffy smiled. 'I bet we will.'

I-E-H


	12. Chapter 12

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews and encouragement, means a lot! Gonna warn everyone, there's a bit of Angel-bashing in here.

I-E-H

The jeeps rumbled to a halt and Buffy looked at Spike apprehensively. She knew who would be waiting outside that door – how could he not be? He'll probably stare at her with big puppy dog eyes and expect a hug.

God, she hated emotional reunions.

The noise of the other vehicles emptying made her nervousness worse and she waited for the other occupants to get out first. Spike nodded that she should go ahead and she chewed her lip, hesitant to leave this emotionally safe place. But she knew she had to face this and climbed to her feet, jumping out the back with nervous energy crackling around her. She raised her eyes, ready to meet the brooding wonder head on.

She had a shock coming.

'Mom?' She exclaimed, feeling Spike jump down behind her but disregarding it. She ran forward, arms outstretched, hugging her mother tightly as the older woman cried her name in joy. After a few moments of girly hugging, crying and kissing, she looked up through shiny eyes and smiled. 'Not that I'm not massively glad to see you but…mom it's dangerous here.'

'And where else would I be except at my little girl's side? Don't worry, I'm not coming to the big fight. But I wasn't going to sit in New Orleans waiting weeks for a message telling me whether you'd made it. I had to be here to make sure you were okay.' She looked behind Buffy and saw the once blond vampire standing somewhat awkwardly behind her daughter.

He wasn't expecting to be hugged anymore than Buffy had been expecting to see her mom.

'Spike!' She threw her arms around the vampire and squeezed him tightly. 'I'm so glad you found each other.' She looked between them. 'And I want to hear exactly what you've been up to.' Her daughter turned beetroot red and Joyce paused. 'Oh. Okay. Maybe not in complete detail.' _Another vampire. Oh well. At least this one has a personality._

'Mom. Spike and I…..we're….together. Giles knows.'

Spike swallowed hard, waiting for the rebuke from the mother. But Joyce just smiled.

'Everyone needs someone in this world, honey. Be it dead or alive. At least it isn't…..' She trailed off. 'I'll speak to you later anyway, we'll catch up then. I'll go and speak to Rupert and see how he is getting on. I hear he lost an arm, the poor thing.'

Buffy stuttered but her mother disappeared and as she turned to follow her, she saw the reason for the interruption. -and-Brooding himself had arrived.

'Buffy!' He said, in that breathless whispered shout he must have patented over the years. He rushed forward and gathered her up in a hug. 'I thought I'd never see you again.'

She squirmed and extricated herself from the embrace, brushing herself down. 'Didn't have much faith in me then did you?'

Angel paused, confused by her reaction. 'What? No…I didn't mean that….it's just….well, the world kinda ended, Buffy.' He reached out to place a hand on her face and then stopped, sniffing. 'Why do you smell like Spike?'

'Seriously? You _sniffed_ me?' Buffy made a face. 'And probably because I've spent the last week side by side with him twenty-four-seven.' She paused, knowing that the vampire in question had disappeared from behind her before Angel could spot him.

'We're talking about Spike? William The Bloody? Mr.I-wanna-kill-Slayers-ask-me-how?' Angel scoffed. 'You've spent a week with him and didn't stake him? How?'

_Well, Angel, there's this really amazing thing he does with his tongue and he's really, really endowed and pretty much satisfied me more than any man or vampire on earth could. _'We bumped into each other just outside New York, in the base I was staying at. We decided to travel this way together. He's been pretty handy actually.' She waited a moment. And then decided to drop the bomb and run. 'We're together. And I don't care what you have to say about it.'

She bolted. It was cowardly. She threw a glance back at the dark vampire, stood stunned by her revelation.

Nah, it was fun.

I-E-H

'Wondered where you'd got to.' Buffy spoke, making the occupants of the room jump. Spike had apparently gone to where Ryan and Tiree had been plonked in the medical part of the compound. She'd had to ask around but had finally found her way here.

'Yeah.' Spike held out a hand to her and she took it. 'Figured you didn't need me making Captain Forehead broody. Also, look who woke up on the way here.' He smiled at the young lad on the bed, who looked far better than the last time Buffy had seen him. Tiree was all smiles, glad she was reunited with her man.

'Looks like I'll not be in the final fight though,' Ryan said wistfully. 'Now, if only I could talk Tiree out of going, I'll be happy.' Tiree scowled at him, and then smiled again.

'I'll think about it. There's still a world to be saved here and they'll need my abilities. I could help.'

Spike looked down at Buffy and then to Ryan. 'Can't talk women out of things when they're got their mind set mate. All you can do is support them.' Buffy wrapped her arms around his waist.

'Wanna hear something funny?' The Slayer whispered. The vampire cocked his head to the side in acknowledgment. 'I told Angel we're together. And ran away. Think he's probably still stood in the tunnel having an aneurysm.' She giggled. 'You should have seen the look on his face.'

'You….you told him? Just like that?' Spike said, stunned by her admission.

'Yeah. And I told him I don't care what he thinks.' She frowned. 'You know he said he thought he'd never see me again? Like he didn't believe I'd survive. Some faith in my ability.' She snorted. Spike smiled.

'You are a little spitfire.' She grinned up at him and kissed him hard.

A cough interrupted their display of emotion. Giles stood in the doorway. 'We have a briefing soon, Buffy. Tiree, your presence is required. I'll send in a medic to check on Ryan. Spike, you are wanted too. If you could all follow me please.' At the chorus of agreement from the room, Giles smiled fondly at his slayer, as she took her vampire by the hand and followed him out of the room.

'I assume you have seen Angel?' Giles asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. 'He was rather upset.'

'Oh no.' Buffy responded in mock horror. 'Did I hurt his feelings?'

Giles chuckled. 'I rather think so. He was insistent you were under thrall. Except he knows Spike is not capable of such a thing. He wanted me to check everything but I told him to piss off. I reminded him it has been nearly three years since he has seen you and that you would undoubtedly have changed in such a period of time. You are not the same girl he abandoned to her fate.'

'Couldn't have put it better myself.' Spike grumbled.

'He'll get over it.' Buffy waved a hand.

'It's himself he'll struggle to get over,' Her vampire interjected.

'Who is this Angel?' Tiree asked.

'My brooding ex-boyfriend. He's a vampire too. Except he likes self-flagellation.' At Spike's pointed look, Buffy scowled. 'What? I know _some_ long words.'

Giles smiled brightly as they turned into a busy mess hall. Unfortunately, said self-flagellating vampire was waiting to ambush them.

'Buffy!' He called, running over to them, his face a deadly serious frown. His eyes flashed golden at the sight of Spike and Buffy holding hands, but the Slayer rolled her eyes at him.

'What now? I really don't have time for a lecture.' The slayer stood closer to Spike, half for his support and half because she was suddenly enjoying winding Angel up.

'I need to talk to you. In _private._' He gritted his teeth at the last part, glaring at the other vampire.

'What? So you can tell me I'm making a mistake? That Spike's a killer? Cause I really don't care. You run off now and puff your chest out elsewhere. I'm not listening.'

She made to move off and Angel grabbed her arm. Spike growled loudly and the hall went silent as the vampire faced off.

'Piss off, Angel.' Spike ground out, dropping Buffy's hand and dropping into a fighting stance. Angel let go of Buffy's arm and faced down his upstart childe, vamping out. Spike refused to let his demon have control, and waited for his sire to make the first move.

'This has nothing to do with _you, _Spike.' Angel spat, until Buffy placed her hand on his chest.

'That's funny because from all your posturing, I'd say it has everything to do with Spike. You gave up your right to have _any_ say in my life when you swanned off to L.A. So back off.'

He didn't back down. He pressed forward, intent on hurting the younger vampire.

So Buffy threw him across the room.

He landed in a pile twenty feet away at the foot of a food cart. A pot of mash potatoes shook, swayed and then tumbled downwards, landing on his head with a gooey plop.

Silence reigned for a few seconds.

Then Buffy burst out laughing.

Spike joined her.

Giles grinned widely, retaining his British composure as the room went back to it's normal chatter and noise and the Slayer and Vampire nearly doubled over laughing. He waved them on and they left the hall, heading for the briefing, just as Angel pulled the mash potato pot off of his head and scowled at their retreating forms.

I-E-H

The briefing had been predictably boring. Buffy had struggled to stay awake. Spike had kept poking her to wake her up, which she didn't really appreciate.

It was two hours before they were allowed to leave and she hadn't actually absorbed any information. Spike was bouncing on the balls of his feet, knowing instinctively it was dark outside. Unfortunately they'd been banned from venturing too far and had been shown their quarters with strict rules on staying there.

There was a very slim chance of that happening.

Within ten minutes of their guide departing, both Slayer and Vampire were outside the compound, sneaking their way through Washington D.C. Spike wished he could have shown her the sights, but there wasn't much of them left. They'd broken through a fire exit into the National Museum of History and for a moment, Buffy had seen Spike's eyes spark with interest at the half desiccated exhibits. But he'd seemed focused on getting somewhere and had pulled her out of the building quickly.

'So you're telling me that the army is camping out in the tunnels underneath the whole of the White House?' She hadn't quite believed him when he'd told her. He'd been pointing things out, making it as romantic an escape as possible. 'Wow. We could get in real trouble for this, you know?' She whispered.

'What they gonna do? Stick us in the brig? They need us. They especially need you.' He said, looking around. 'They've been hiding in those catacombs for months, if the enemy hasn't found them yet, they aren't gonna find them tonight. And with that bridge out, we're safe for a quick jaunt. Now come on.'

'What bridge?'

'Weren't you listening even a bit in the briefing Buffy?' Spike scolded. 'There's a river between here and the Pentagon. Frankenstein took the bridges out. But the army have been tunnelling underneath, hoping they'll come out somewhere south of the building. Plan is to detonate and go in soon. They just haven't decided how soon. They're ready. Just pussyfooting.' Spike growled as he led her across a deserted street. They headed into a wooded area.

Buffy looked around at where they had ended up. 'So it's coming soon? The end?'

'Told you before. S'not the end.' He pointed towards a gap in a thick copse of trees and nodded. 'Now stop talking shop. Get in there. Looks secure.'

'I thought you said…'

'Still don't want no prying eyes.' He whispered, pushing her towards the gap. She was about to protest as they passed through until she walked in. The moon had emerged from behind a cloud and lit up the small woodland clearing perfectly. Roses bloomed at the sides, the grass was long but soft-looking and she gasped as she saw the daisies poking their heads through. The trees were so thickly lined and leafed that Spike had been right; they had privacy in here.

'It's beautiful.'

'One good thing that has come out of this – mother nature has been given a chance to regrow her world.' Spike whispered, walking round her and spreading the military issue bed blanket on the ground. He then pulled from his fatigued jacked, two juice boxes and a bag of potato chips. 'I know it isn't a picnic….but I rustled this up.' He smiled at her and she ran forward, jumping into his arms. They fell to the floor kissing.

'Wanted to make this special for you, pet.' He hesitated. 'If you still…'

Buffy silenced him with another bone-melting kiss. When she pulled away she was breathless. 'Of course I still want it.' She kissed him again, kissing a path down his throat and he growled at her, rolling them over so he was on top.

They were savouring the moment; for all Spike's positive words, there was a chance they wouldn't make it out alive.

This could be their last night on earth.

Buffy arched into her vampire's touch as he explored her body, removing her clothes slowly. He wanted it to last, but at the same time, didn't know how long he would be able to restrain himself. She felt the same, as she pulled his clothes off of the top half of his body, moaning, and trying to push into him, trying to connect with him.

They couldn't get close enough and it was taking too long. Before Buffy knew it, they were disrobed and her only coherent thoughts were "Spike is yummy" and "too hot for clothes". As he came into her, those thoughts were obliterated and Cave-Buffy was officially in residence.

He doubted any creature would be brave enough to investigate the sounds they were making. He felt out of control and the Slayer was an animal underneath him. This wouldn't last long – they hadn't been afforded much time together and he knew they had to make this quick. Buffy had told him about the prophecy and what it meant and the mere thought that she was actually _his_….his brain could have exploded.

He felt her stiffen underneath him and knew she was close. He wanted so badly to drag this out but he couldn't hold himself or the demon back from claiming what was his. His face changed, his fags extended and he slid them into Buffy's slender neck, drinking enough to make her explode around him again. She screamed in pleasure and he smiled internally. After he had taken enough of her life, he licked the wound closed and whispered to her;

'Mine. Now. Forever.'

Buffy gasped and reared her head back, sinking blunt teeth into his shoulder, just down from his neck. Blood trickled into her mouth and Spike was renewed, his movements continuing as she performed the most erotic of moments he'd ever experienced.

'Mine. Now. Forever.' She whispered.

Lights exploded for both of them.

And silence fell in the copse.

I-E-H

A/N: I really hope this didn't come off as too cheesy. I also didn't want to make it too….NC-17 lol.


	13. Chapter 13

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

A/N: ginar369, cavemenftw and Embers and Flame, thank you so much for your support

I-E-H

The cafeteria was bustling with life as Buffy walked through the door. She held the lunch tray securely in her hands, smiling at her gaze landed on the two people seated at the table across the room. She pushed her way through the crowds and occupied the fifth and final seat, squinting against the sunlight coming in through the open window beside them. A quick shuffle and she was able to see her fellow lunchers clearly.

The red head smiled brightly at her and the brunette shoved an entire twinkie in his mouth whilst giving her a goofy grin. God, it felt like years since she'd seen them.

'Hey Buffy. Long time no see.' Willow chirped up brightly.

Memories hit Buffy like a train. This wasn't where she was a few minutes before. There were trees and grass, silence over the city – and now she was sitting in a long destroyed building with long dead friends.

'W-willow? Xander?' Buffy felt herself wilt, felt years of hidden grieving surge to the surface.

Xander smiled, swallowing the twinkie and briefly glancing to Willow.

'Hey Buffster. Guess you weren't expecting to see us huh?'

Buffy's eyes were watery and large as she twisted her gaze between the two ghosts. 'A-are you real?' She whispered, her voice cracking on the last word. Willow reached over and took her hand in support and Buffy jumped a little, not expecting the warm contact.

'We're as real as we can be anymore.'

Xander's smile became sad. 'You can't blame yourself, Buffy. We knew what we were getting into. Everytime we fought with you, we knew the possible outcome. We accepted it. But everything we did, it made life worthwhile.'

'And too short.' Buffy said, bitterly.

'Maybe.' Willow said. 'In another life, maybe it would have gone differently. Can't change the past. But it wasn't your fault. It was Adam's. And we're here to help now. You really think the Slayerettes would sit this one out?' The witch grinned.

'Can't say I'm happy about the methods employed to get us this far.' Xander made a face. 'Dead Boy Junior, Buffy? I thought Angel was bad.'

'Is this what this is? An afterlife intervention?' Buffy briefly wondered if Spike had slipped up and taken too much. What if she was dead too?

'You're not.' Xander said. 'It was a risk, you hooking up with the Bleached Menace…but it was a necessary one.' He shifted his seat closer to her, into the dwindling patch of sunlight. Someone walked past him and hit him with a bag and he scowled, rubbing the back of his head. Buffy suddenly wondered why there were so many other apparitions in the room with them.

'We can make them leave if you like?' Willow asked, looking around.

'No. Wouldn't mind if you'd both stop doing _that_ though. My thoughts are kinda private.' The Slayer smiled weakly at her friends.

'Sorry, Buff.' The boy smiled, taking her other hand, mimicking Willow's action. 'Look. I've been shown a lot. I've learnt not to be so….closed minded. Don't get me wrong, I'm never gonna be on the "Good Vamp Cheering Squad". But I know now that you and Spike? Pretty much an invincible team there. Dynamic duo type stuff. So I'm not gonna berate you for making the wise choice.'

'And besides, Angel is a big broody pants.' Willow interjected. Xander smiled.

'The point is, Spike was the other piece of you. In another life, he was a champion and he's always going to be yours. That's what we've been told by the higher whoosamawhatsits anyways.' The goofy grin returned to his face. 'And we'll always be with you too. More so in the next couple of days.'

'We're doing the spell again Buffy. Except this time, it'll be more. More power. More Frankenstein-butt-kickyness.' Willow looked excited.

Buffy looked between both of them. 'How? I'm not exactly in a prime butt-kicking position right now.'

'When the time is right. We've been following you the whole time, Buffy. We may not be with you in physical presence, but we'll always be with you in memory and spirit.' Her best friends both smiled.

'We're always the Scoobies. Death and beyond.' Xander squeezed her hand.

'I really miss you guys.' The Slayer whispered, her physical strength unable to protect her from the sadness that the loss of her friends always produced inside her.

'We miss you too. But we're in a warm, happy place.' The witch looked at her male counterpart, who nodded emphatically.

'So, how will I know when to do this spell?' Buffy asked. 'Do I need to tell Giles?'

'No.' Willow shook her head. 'The army are going to start their attack tomorrow afternoon. You won't feel any different until you face Adam. When we invoke the powers, you'll know it.'

'Boy will you. Superfuelled Buffy. Wish I could be there.' Xander grinned wistfully.

'I wish you were here too Xan.' She smiled and squeezed his hand in a return of his earlier gesture.

'But for now, we'd better send you back to your vamp. And don't forget, if he hurts you, I'll kill him like a chicken.' Willow smiled. Buffy saw them begin to fade from her vision and she fought against it.

'No! Don't go…please…' Buffy shouted.

The room had disappeared and she was back in the clearing with Spike. He was looking at her in confusion and somehow she felt it.

'They left me again.' She whispered and then collapsed into tears.

I-E-H

Spike wasn't entirely sure what had happened. He'd felt intense joy at their union, felt the claim lock into place and then…it seemed like Buffy wasn't in residence anymore. She might have passed out, but shaking her didn't seem to rouse her. And then she shouted.

'No! Don't go…please…'

And she was awake, tears in her eyes. He didn't know what to do. Then she'd started crying and he'd gathered her into his arms, wrapping his coat around them both as he rocked her through her grief. He could feel it in his bones and it was so strong he wanted to cry too.

Except he wouldn't. He had no clue what had upset her so but he wasn't going to waver in his support.

It took a full ten minutes for her to calm down. The full on tears dwindled into sobs and then sniffles as she clutched him, and then moaned against his bare chest.

'Sorry.' She sniffed and looked up at him with red and puffy eyes. 'That wasn't very romantic.'

'Wanna tell me what happened there, pet?' His eyes were full of nothing but concern.

'I saw…Willow…and Xander. I talked to them.' She said quietly, looking down at her hands. 'They told me not to blame myself, that they knew what they were getting into. Then they said that I can defeat Adam and I'll know how when the time comes.' She felt reluctant to explain the details. Spike had never been a fan of magic, only resorting to it when drunk.

'Oh, Buffy. I'm sorry, love. I know you miss them.' He kissed the top of her head. He knew she wasn't telling him the full story but it was up to her and he wouldn't push. 'But they're right. It wasn't your fault. They knew the risks.'

'Willow said if you hurt me, she'll kill you like a chicken.' She said, looking at him seriously.

He smirked. 'Well that isn't going to happen so she can keep her incorporeal threats to herself.' He looked around. 'We should probably head back. It's late and we need to get some rest.'

'They're going to attack tomorrow. During daylight.'

'How do you know….' He trailed off. 'Ghost messages. Right.'

She shrugged. Now wasn't the time for complicated conversations and Spike always seemed to understand that.

'We should head back.' He said, passing her her discarded clothing. They both dressed quickly and headed for the gap in the trees. Before they exited, Buffy pulled Spike to her and kissed him hard.

'I'll be relieved when this is all done and we can spend some quality time recuperating.' Buffy whispered, holding him close as he bent his head for another kiss. 'I'm tired of fighting.'

'I'm sure we'll have-' He cut off suddenly, looking up in alarm. 'Shit. Hybrids.'

A mechanical noise reached Buffy's ears and her eyes went wide. They crouched back into the trees, looking through the gap as a patrol of ten marched past. Buffy gasped as she saw the leader, the moonlight clearly highlighting his face. Spike's eyes narrowed and he bit back a growl.

_Riley._ Buffy thought, too worried about attracting their attention to speak out loud. _He's still alive. An evil cyborg, but still alive. _She felt Spike tense behind her and she pushed back into him, seeking his hand in reassurance. She knew there was no saving Riley from this fate – he looked more demon than the man she'd once had feelings for. If there was any Riley left in there, he would likely not help Spike either.

The patrol passed on and the vampire and slayer hidden in the trees waited for a few minutes before emerging. Spike vamped out and checked the road for the hybrids, and then pulled Buffy with him. They didn't say a word as they made their way back to base, making sure they were not followed. Wouldn't do to lose this late in the game.

They snuck back into the army compound, making sure they didn't get caught by their own side as they returned to their quarters. Once there, they felt safe to speak again.

'Do you think they were looking for us? Not us specifically, but…this place? I didn't think they had any patrols over this side of the river. Thought they'd blown all the bridges up?'

'Problem is, if we mention it to anyone, we'll get reprimanded for leaving against orders.' Spike scratched his chin. 'But they need to be warned. We'll go to Giles first. Maybe he'll understand _why_ we left.' The Slayer nodded in agreement with him. 'Right then. I'll go speak to him. You get some sleep. You're gonna need it.'

He bent down and kissed her on the forehead, then turned on his heel and left. Buffy watched him leave and then snuggled under the blanket, feeling suddenly bereft without him there.

I-E-H

'We got a problem, Rupert.' Spike grouched from the doorway of the librarian's quarters. The aged Brit looked up, startled by the vampire's appearance. His eyes were drawn to the large mark on Spike's neck.

'You claimed her then?' An affirming nod from the vamp. 'And it was reciprocated?' Another nod. Giles felt his inner Watcher getting angry that his Slayer had been bitten by yet another vampire. _But she was in no danger from this one. Not lately anyway._ 'What's the problem?'

'We snuck out. Wanted a bit of privacy like. Only we saw something a bit worrying. Demon patrol. Headed up by Finn himself. Buffy saw him.'

'Is she okay?'

'She's fine. A little tired. She didn't seem to shook up by seeing him. She was more bothered by the vision of her dead friends telling her how to kill Mr. Bits.'

Giles' mouth set into a thin line. This would push things forward a bit. Which was good. The army had spent far too much time analysing this problem and not enough time killing it. Adam was their responsibility in the end, built by a crazed government employee. They should have done something more to prevent all this in the first place. But at least now they had some answers as to how to kill the abomination.

'She saw Willow and Xander? That must have been emotional. She misses them terribly.'

'She blames herself. And she knows she shouldn't but Slayers tend to be a bit glutton for punishment.' The vampire sat down on Giles' bunk, fiddling with the lighter he'd pulled from his pocket. Giles watched for a second and then reached into a pack next to him, pulling out a packet of cigarettes. He threw them to Spike who caught them deftly, with a look of surprise on his face.

'I dare say we could both use one.' The vampire smiled and lit one up, chucking the pack back to Giles. 'I assume you left her sleeping,' The watcher asked, lighting up a cigarette and inhaling deeply.

'Yeah. Doubt she'll get much without me there. I feel a bit odd without her beside me now. Prolly a side effect of the claim.' Giles pulled out a notebook and Spike rolled his eyes. 'Ere now, I'm not a science experiment.'

'Do you know just how rare what you have done is? It's rare enough for a slayer to get involved with one vampire, let alone two and then claim one for her own. I must keep a record of this, if not for my own academic interest but for the watcher's diaries….if we ever locate them again.' His enthusiasm dwindled as quickly as it had lit up. 'I suppose…it can wait until after.'

Spike finished the cigarette and stubbed it out in a surprisingly full ashtray next to the bunk. 'I should get back to her. Get some rest. I'll let you pass the message on. They were on 15th Street Northwest last I saw. We got out of there pretty quick, made sure we weren't followed.' He went to leave and then hesitated. 'Her mates…said the fight would start tomorrow. She said she knows how to beat Adam, I know it has something to do with them but I don't know exactly what. Reckon she'll be keeping it to herself too. As long as I'm there to back her up and she lives through this, I don't rightly care what she does to kill him. All I care about, Watcher. Getting her out in one piece. She's earned the right to live after all this.' He didn't wait for an answer and disappeared out of the door.

Giles sat in silence for a few moments. He gathered his thoughts, pushed aside his concerns and stood up, intent on putting the proverbial fire under the military's arse. It was time to take this fight to a head.

I-E-H

A/N: I know there wasn't much action in this chapter. But I'm hoping to bring you a few shocks next time, it may be a while coming, unless I can get it out before Friday, as my laptop is in desperate need of some medical attention, so it'll be paying a visit to PCWorld for a checkup and I don't know if I'll get it back.


	14. Chapter 14

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

I-E-H

He hadn't slept at all. He didn't feel like he'd needed it. Buffy had gotten the rest she needed, at least for a few hours and he'd spent the time listening to her breathing, her heart beating, the soft murmurs she exuded in her dreams. He listened to it all in wonder. Wondering how he'd gone so long without companionship; wondering how he'd gotten so damn lucky as to have stumbled his way into her heart. How could a creature so damned as he be so blessed at the same time?

Once upon a time, if someone had told him that he would have linked his eternity with hers, he would have laughed in their faces, then, in all likelihood, torn their throat out. Maybe the other way around. He had been the Slayer of Slayers. He was one quarter of the Scourge of Europe.

Now he was well and truly whipped and surprisingly very, very happy about it.

Buffy stirred in her sleep as the crackling of radios sounded outside their door. They were about to be disturbed. He could hear the bustling of the compound all around him, so he knew that Giles had passed on the message and they were to attack. Spike also knew that it was still a few hours off of nightfall outside, so if they left immediately, he'd be out of the fight until it was safe to emerge from the underground passages. He could go as far as where they had tunnelled but no further.

He positively hated sitting on the sidelines.

He'd hate it even more if he knew Buffy was out there fighting without him.

The Slayer's eyes flew open and she stiffened in his arms as she roused from her sleep. She then relaxed and rolled over to put her arms around her vampire with a bright smile.

'Morning.' She whispered, kissing his neck.

'Morning, pet. Don't rightly think we've got much time to ourselves. There's a bloke out there, umming and arring as to whether he's brave enough to come in here.' He whispered.

A tentative knock at the door made Buffy giggle. She reached down and pulled a military issue sweater over the simple tanktop she wore and called for the perpetrator of the knock to enter. A terrified looking soldier, probably no older than Buffy herself, put his head round the door and smiled nervously at the couple on the bed.

'Orders are that we're moving out in three hours. General want us all amassed for a briefing in the mess hall.' Buffy nodded and the soldier made a hasty escape from the glowering stare of the vampire behind her.

'So this is it.' Spike mumbled, his voice vibrating through her body as he hugged her tight.

Buffy's mouth pressed into a thin line and she nodded. 'Guess so. Time to fight the good fight.' She felt Spike get up and he picked up his clothes, dressed quickly. 'No time for anything else.' She made a sad face at him and stood up herself, pulling her trousers on. Her vampire waited for her to finish buttoning her khakis and then wrapped his arms around her.

'Plenty of time for that afterwards.' He whispered, kissing her neck. She whimpered.

'No fair we have no time now. You should have woken me.'

Spike kissed a trail over her collar bone, pulling the sweater to one side. Buffy moaned into the touch.

'You looked so peaceful, didn't wanna disturb you.'

'Yeah, but….I wouldn't have minded being disturbed by this…' The Slayer panted.

A cough had them springing apart like they were electrocuted and they turned guilty faces on the aged one-armed Watcher at the door. He grinned in an amused manner.

'Sorry to interrupt, but I do believe there is a war we need your participation in?'

Both slayer and vampire nodded, before grabbing their gear and moving past the Englishman like a pair of naughty teenagers caught in a classroom. He smiled and followed them from the room and towards the noisy mess hall.

It was a tight squeeze to fight everyone in for the briefing but it was essential that everyone knew where they were going and what they were doing. Buffy and Spike hovered near the back with Giles, knowing most of the instructions meant nothing to them. They had only one mission – find and destroy Adam. _Try not to die in the process._ The thought flashed through Buffy's head more then once. She knew what she had to do, and trusted in herself to get through. She knew Spike could take care of himself and that he would meet her on the other side. She just didn't want to lose any more friends through this.

After half an hour of directions and tactics, Buffy spotted her mother over the other side of the hall and caught her eye, motioning for her to go out into the main passage. She let Spike know where she was going and ducked out, finding Joyce waiting for her in the deserted passageway. The two women embraced for a few seconds, before they began to walk away from the briefing. It hadn't meant anything to Joyce, she was staying away from the fighting and back at the compound with other civilians, sorting out medical supplies for any wounded brought back. Her only worry during that time would be the safety of her daughter.

'I've missed you so much, Mom.' Buffy whispered, slipping her hand into her mother's. Joyce squeezed it.

'I missed you too, sweetheart.' Silence reigned for a few seconds. 'Rupert tells me that you…you and Spike are together? In a serious manner now?'

Buffy swallowed hard. 'Yeah. I know it's quick….but he's really been there for me, Mom. He's given me a reason to fight again. I know it's weird vampire crap but this claim….'

'I don't need to know the specifics, honey.' Joyce stopped and patted her daughter's hand. 'I just need to know three things; that he keeps you safe, he keeps you happy and that he loves you.' She looked into Buffy's eyes and smiled. 'And I can see that every time he looks at you.'

Buffy blushed and looked back along the corridor that her mate stood at the end of. 'He's….' She stopped. There wasn't a word good enough for it. Joyce seemed to sense her loss for words and smiled again.

'Not long left now.' Joyce said, sadness tinging her voice. Buffy sighed.

'You'll be waiting here after?' She asked and her mother nodded. Pulling her daughter into what may have been the last hug ever, she held back the tears that were burning her eyes.

'I love you, Buffy. And I expect you to be back here promptly after killing things.'

I-E-H

She stood with her vampire in a tunnel separate from the main passage that the soldiers were using to reach the Pentagon. They were alone, waiting for the last rays of the sun to disappear over the horizon. The tunnel further down had not been blown yet and wouldn't be for another half an hour. She and Spike were going to run for the Pentagon before the explosion went off, hoping to slip in unnoticed whilst the cyborgs ran for the main army. She tried not to think about her mother, back in the compound. She tried not to think about Giles, down with the generals and colonels and commanders. She tried not to think about what depended on her succession, or lack of.

Tried not to think that it would truly be the end of mankind if she didn't kill Adam.

A few more minutes left. Spike brushed against her arm, and she felt comforted by the contact. She could feel him all over, and it made her feel more confident in her coming fight. He'd have her back. They'd both survive and celebrate afterwards. Rebuild the world.

_Keep being positive, that's what they always say isn't it?_

Spike tensed and she knew the sun was down. They pushed open the entrance to the tunnel and crept out into the darkness. Keeping to the shadows, the vampire and slayer moved silently towards the Pentagon. It was brimming with cyborgs and a steady hum emitted from the building, which had been reinforced with steel and wires. Only one entrance was visible from their position and Spike swore softly under his breath. He pulled Buffy towards a half-destroyed building and they took shelter for a moment.

'We're gonna have to wait for the tunnel to go up and then run for it.' Buffy whispered. Spike nodded.

'One shot, pet. And we'll probably have to fight our way through.'

'Not an issue.' Buffy slid her machete out of her ankle holster and smiled at her old friend. She'd sharpened it specially for the battle. Spike grinned and vamped out.

The ground suddenly shook and a loud bang shattered the air. Shouts and gunfire sounded and both Spike and Buffy glanced around the side of the building to scout the field. Cyborgs were running into the distance, gunfire lit up the ground and Spike nodded to Buffy. They both stood up and ran towards the side of the Pentagon, avoiding the cyborgs running to the fight. They'd made it within ten feet of the entrance when a shadow fell upon them. Buffy looked up and fell backwards onto Spike as Riley blocked her path.

Or whatever was left of Riley.

She'd seen him the other night, but it was nothing to prepare her for how grotesque he looked up close. His face was half gone, replaced with some spiny demon's part. His arms and legs didn't match, and a massive gun took up most of his right limb. In his other hand, he held a small box, which Buffy looked at questioningly before he spoke and distracted her. His voice had the same sound, but none of the Riley she knew remained.

'The Slayer.' A creepy smile split his face and Buffy suddenly felt an even greater urge to punch it. But a good chunk of that probably came from Spike, who was visibly shaking with rage behind her. 'Adam told me it was likely you'd be here. I was looking forward to fighting you. Now we're on even ground and all.' He looked beyond her, to her vampire. 'And Hostile 17.' The phrasing made Spike growl in anger. 'I have something for you.' He held up the small box that had captured Buffy's attention beforehand and that creepy, evil smile returned. The Slayer eyed the box warily, and tensed as he pushed the button in the middle of it. Nothing happened.

Not to her anyway.

Behind her, Spike fell to the ground, his body convulsing and writhing with pain. He tried to clutch at his head but he was unable to move, unable to make a sound again the agony he was being subjected to.

His chip had never died on its own. They'd stopped it broadcasting. And now Riley had turned it back on, full blast. She could feel the agony he was in, could hear his silent screams.

She had to get that box away from the monster her ex had become.

Turning away from Spike for the time being, Buffy launched herself at Riley, knocking the box from his hand and pushing him back a few steps. She scrambled for the box, but before she could reach it, Riley had her in his grip, trying to crush her in his hydraulic assisted arms. She fought against him, elbowing him in the face. He laughed at her and kept squeezing. She felt a couple of ribs break and strained against the pain, reaching for her machete. With one swift move, she grabbed the weapon and took off his left arm.

Riley dropped her as he roared in anger. Buffy moved for the box and almost had it as Riley grabbed her leg and threw her round into the building. She hit the floor with a thud. Riley stamped on the box, shattering it and Buffy glanced at Spike, her face falling as she realised the destruction of the box hadn't stopped his pain. Riley picked her up by the throat and snarled at her, spittle flying from his mouth and landing on her sweater. The cyborg shouted instructions and several minion hybrids grabbed the writhing vampire from the ground and started dragging him towards the entrance of the Pentagon.

'Spike!' Buffy choked out, pulling desperately at Riley's monstrous hands. 'Spi-' His hands drew tighter and she snarled against the strangulation.

The Slayer could only watch as her vampire was dragged away from her and Riley laughed in her face.

He wasn't laughing so hard when she planted her foot in his face. It took several kicks before he dropped her and she hit the ground, gasping for air. After a few moments of gasping and gulping down air, she looked up.

Riley, his minions and Spike were gone.

I-E-H

I'm bad. I know. I hope this chapter went okay. I'm hoping to have another chapter done by the end of the night but if not, I'm without a laptop or computer for two weeks after today so it will be a while before another update I'm afraid!


	15. Chapter 15

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

I-E-H

It had been fifteen minutes.

Fifteen minutes of running, fighting, efficient kills and screaming for her mate.

Fifteen minutes of feeling him, feeling his pain, but _not _feeling him stood beside her, fighting beside her.

Fifteen minutes of dying every second she couldn't find him.

_Damn that chip. Damn the Initiative for starting all this. Damn Riley. Damn Adam. DAMMIT WHY CAN'T I FIND SPIKE?_

She was crying now, as she killed hybrids in her way. Blood and tears. Story of her life so far. She wouldn't lose him, couldn't lose him. Not now. Not after she'd lost so much in this stupid war. She wouldn't lose her future too.

Another minute gone. Another minute without him. She glanced behind her.

Another six cyborgs dead and partially dismembered on the floor.

The Slayer was angry now. The bond between her and Spike was fresh, and the part of her that made her the Slayer was raging that her other half had been taken, that he was hurting somewhere. And the Buffy part of her was never happen when anyone took someone she cared about. There was a world of hurt waiting for anything that stood between her and her vampire. She'd find him, kill everything and then they'd kill Adam. Job done.

She couldn't hear the gunfire from the outside of the complex anymore. She felt a bit like she was inside one of those Borg ships off of Star Trek. Xander probably would have thought it was really cool. Actually, Xander probably would have started looking for Seven of Nine. Buffy smiled at the thought of her goofy friend. She missed him. And Willow. So much.

The corridor ahead of her, if you could call it that, appeared clear of cyborgs for the time being. Panels and lights, threaded with wires and screens, surrounded her. She felt distinctly sci-fi as she held the machete in an attack position. She was deep in the heart of the complex now, having gone down several levels following her heart to her vampire. It was the only way she knew how to work; follow the heart and occasionally listen to someone else's brain. Instinct had kept her going this long. It would see her through to the end.

Something exploded behind her and she turned to see sparks hit the grating on the floor. Nothing emerged from the smoke and she shrugged, breaking into a run along the remainder of the corridor. She didn't worry about being quiet – Riley had seen her, so they knew she was coming. She no longer had the element of surprise. She'd just have to rely on the element of being able to rip them limb from limb. Especially Riley. She seriously wanted to massacre the thing that was wearing her ex-boyfriend's body….well, parts of it.

She thought Spike might like a piece of that action too.

I-E-H

The pain was excruciating. It felt like he was burning slowly from the inside out, but without any actual combustion occurring. Slow, unbearable death.

Physically there was nothing showing on him, aside from the blood slowly trickling from his nose and ears. The chip was certainly frying his brain. He kept trying to recount his memories, desperately clinging onto things he didn't want to lose. But the chip was killing him, slowly.

Unfortunately it looked like it would take a long time.

Something cut into him, and he arched against the new source of pain. The chip was dulling his senses but he could feel the cut. Something had been attached to him and he tried to see what it was. Whilst he was sure his eyes were open, he was blind.

God, he hoped that wasn't permanent.

A voice echoed in his ear, and he snarled.

_"See if she wants you back when you look just like me."_

I-E-H

She'd landed in what looked like a factory floor when it had been shut down for the night. Body parts were arranged in grotesque displays and some were obviously in a state of construction. Others were in the deconstruction phase.

It was fairly sickening.

_Room checked, nothing to kill, move on._

The hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end. This place was creeping the bejesus out of her and she wanted to find Spike quickly and get the hell out of dodge. The pain she felt from him was nullifying slowly and it worried her. He couldn't be dying. He wasn't going to leave her.

She was starting to be more worried about what they would do with him if he did die. Although it would be hard to turn a pile of dust into one of these monsters. She kicked at a discarded leg as if it was its fault for the mess she had found herself in.

A decidedly male scream echoed around the chamber and she spun round, trying to determine what direction it came from. A second scream sounded but the acoustics of the room afforded her no hint of the route she should take. She stopped, concentrated on her link to Spike and focused hard.

All she got for her trouble was an influx of pain she couldn't handle. She bent over double, fresh tears coursing down her cheeks as she felt what he was feeling. Blood seeped through the leg of her khaki pants and she looked down, unaware she had cut herself. She rolled the trouser leg up and was surprised to see a deep gash, with what looked like staple marks around the wound. Nothing she ever recalled getting.

_Spike is hurt. This is Spike's wound._

The realisation made her grit her teeth and she sprinted from the chamber, following corridors blindly, looking for him, screaming for him. She kicked open a large foreboding door and fell forward, landing on her hands and knees on the floor of a large square room. Computer screens lined the outside of the room, with huge server units humming away. Several cyborgs stood facing her and she pulled herself to her feet very quickly. She grabbed for the machete and stood in a fighting stance.

'_Stop._' A commanding voice made the cyborgs stop in their tracks. Buffy looked beyond them and her eyes widened at what she saw.

The middle of the room was a dipped circle, surrounded by computer screens and wires, all connecting to a focal point in the middle of the room. Adam. He was the focal point. _Has been all along._ Buffy's mind reminded her. Her widened eyes narrowed as she remained in an offensive stance.

'_She is mine. I've been waiting a long time.'_

The cyborgs vacated the area, retaining enough of their demon senses to apparently realise this was a fight they wouldn't win. The Slayer was left facing down Frankenstein. _Final showdown._

'_You failed the last time you faced me. I killed your friends. I have destroyed the known world. Everything you knew has descended into chaos and still you come before me, with nothing but a sharp knife, and you believe you can defeat me.' _The monster disconnected himself from the wires and computers and stepped out of his circle of tech. He looked down at her and for a moment, even from a few metres away, she thought that he'd gotten bigger. '_Even now, Hostile 17, your _Spike_ is ours. Before long he'll be one of my constructs and you will have lost everything. Will you fight me then?'_

Her mind flitted to Spike and she felt despair. She had to get to him and stop them changing him into a cyborg. He definitely wouldn't be happy about that.

Adam sensed her internal turmoil and he laughed at her, a horrible grating noise that made her insides twist. He took a step forward and she began to retreat, then stood her ground, raising her chin defiantly against him. He smiled. '_Even now you stand your ground, even though it is hopeless. You could not defeat me. All you can do is die. Half of the forces you brought against me are destroyed. More parts for my constructs.'_

'Your constructs? They're just Frankensteins. What are you going to do when there's nothing left to destroy?'

'_Humans are like cockroaches. There will always be more to kill_.'

Buffy rolled her eyes. The bad guys still didn't have any follow through. 'I'm going to fight you.'

'_You will fail.'_

'Pride comes before a fall, so they say.' Buffy shrugged. Adam smiled, and then his arm changed into a gun and began firing rapidly at her. She rolled to the side and slid behind one of the server columns, hoping to whoever would listen that the casing would afford her enough protection. One of the bullets ricocheted off of the floor and scraped her arm, and she hissed as blood splattered over her arm. She did not like guns, never had. _Kinda like Batman, huh Buff?_

The gunfire stopped as she felt her friends beside her. An eerie wave of calming influence washed over her and she stood, pushing the cabinet away from her with ease as she faced Adam. Her eyes were bathed in a brilliant light as she smiled at him. He paused, showing the first signs of hesitation as she approached him.

She kicked him and he stumbled backwards, before throwing his fist towards her face. It connected and she flew back into another tower, crunching it beneath the impact of the connection. He snarled and charged forward, trying to punch her against the tower but she moved, ducking between his legs and coming up behind him, pushing him into the tower and planting a solid kick to the midsection of his back. Something crunched underneath her foot and she laughed. He span round and grabbed her arm, throwing her up and then down into the floor, painfully. He followed it up with a punch to the back of her head, but she rolled away, spinning through the air to her feet.

The monster glared at her, stomping towards her. His temper was fraying and the edges thinned even more as she smiled at him, her eyes still glowing in an ethereal manner. He snarled, grabbed her by the throat and holding her up.

'_You will not win. I will destroy you.'_

I-E-H

He snarled, feeling something akin to acid burning through his insides, corroborating with the pain in his skull. The only thought other than 'ow, this bloody hurts' that was going through his brain was the need to know that Buffy was okay.

Then suddenly, the acid feeling numbed and he somehow _knew_ that Buffy was alive and coming for him. The shocks lessened and he struggled against his bonds. A leg snapped free and his eyesight returned to him as the deformed face of Riley Finn swam into his vision, and he felt himself being pinned down by numerous hands.

His thoughts became tumultuous as he fought against them and fought to return to the side of his mate.

I-E-H

'You think that, but I'm feeling pretty good.' Buffy quipped, twisting her body and escaping Adam's grip. She landed on the floor and hit her opponent with a series of punches to the face. He threw a punch and she bent backwards to avoid it. before aiming a solid kick to his midsection.

Buffy laughed as she ducked another punch from and span out of his reach. Adam roared and stomped towards her, intent on serious harm. Within the blink of an eye, Buffy sent him careening into the centre structure. He threw a computer at her and it hit her on the side but did not keep her down for long as she jumped straight back up and laughed again.

'_You cannot continue this fight. You will tire. You will die.'_

'Sure about that?' She replied, retrieving her discarded machete and slicing a chunk out of his abdomen.

'_You do not have the power to defeat me.'_ He sounded worried.

Good.

He grabbed her by the hair, intent on ramming her head into the wall, but she kicked her legs up and flipped over his head, ignoring the pain of his hand pulling at her hair. With a deft swipe, he'd lost the hand and she had landed gracefully behind him. He snarled and his arm was replaced with another gun. He fired at her and she panicked for a brief second before time seemed to slow down.

She saw the bullets coming towards her, and then felt something on either side of her take her hands. She looked over, and saw Willow on one side and Xander on the other. They weren't quite solid, but they were there. Willow raised a hand and the bullets turned into flower petals and time sped up again. Buffy suddenly felt infused with an awesome power and rushed forward, ripped the previously damaged arm from the socket of Adam's shoulder. He yelled, a rather human noise for the supposed "demon king" and she looked up at him, tilting her head to the side.

'_You don't have…the power.'_

Buffy grinned, 'You could not hope to grasp the source of my power.' She punched into his chest, ripped through metal and flesh and pulled out the uranium core that powered him. 'But yours is right here.' The wide eyed look Adam gave her before crumpling to the floor, was extremely satisfactory.

The power she'd had left her and she slipped to her knees, looking up as the spectres of Willow and Xander appeared before her once more. She smiled at them, tears pricking her eyes, knowing this wouldn't be the last time she ever saw them. Xander grinned and Willow waved at her, before they disappeared back into the ether from whence they came.

The Slayer sagged a little, then jumped to her feet.

She still had to find her vampire.

I-E-H

'_Adam is dead. The hybrids are connected to me now. You'll soon be my little slave, Hostile 17. She won't get here in time.'_

The acid burning had returned with a vengeance. He couldn't feel his legs. Reminded him of that time he was in the wheelchair. When….how he ended up in that thing? He remembered fire.

He remembered Buffy.

Buffy.

Keep thinking about Buffy.

'_She won't get here in time.'_

I-E-H

A/N: I have my laptop back! Yay! Hopefully I can now find the time to finish this story for my wonderful followers and reviewers :)


	16. Chapter 16

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

WARNING: This chapter will get pretty gory pretty quickly. Riley is a monster and acts as so. There are allusions to rape but absolutely no graphic descriptions.

I-E-H

_'She won't get here in time.'_

Buffy. Oh god. Buffy.

Spike hadn't ever felt this terrified, even at the hands of Angelus at his worst. His body was burning, his mind was slipping. He could smell his own blood and knew there wasn't much left in his body. Riley was going to drag this out, regardless of when the Slayer got there. He knew from the monster's previous words that Adam was no more - Buffy had defeated him. But Adam wasn't the problem. Riley was. A mesh-up of demon and human resentment, his evil knew no boundaries. And Riley had hated him before he had two years of violence to improve his skills.

Franken-Riley was now chattering away to the bound vampire, cutting into his soft pale flesh in numerous places, draining him of any life, just to keep him prone. He was detailing his plan for Buffy, but Spike ignored it. He had faith in his golden goddess, even if he happened to not survive, she would kick this monster straight to the deepest parts of hell. She would avenge him.

He just hoped she could survive after. With the bond being new, her anger would be fresh and raw for a while. But he could only pray to whatever deity would listen, that because it was so new, she hadn't had time to adjust, that she could move on with her life and be happy. Even if he was gone, she had to live the life she'd fought for.

Spike could never deny her that.

'Do you think she'll scream for you, when you're dead and she's violated beyond recognition? I hope she does, just to smell that despair on her.' Riley chortled and the noise would have sent a shiver down Spike's spine. 'I've never had much to do with the hybrid assembly. I didn't think they used vampires. But we've got this neat little drug that will keep you intact whilst I perform the procedure. It's going to hurt. A lot. But afterwards, you'll be perfectly willing to do whatever I say.' He leant in close to Spike's ear, running his hand down the vampire's jerking arm as he continued to seize from the voltage running through his nervous system. 'You'll even rip her limb from limb if I tell you to.'

Spike grunted, trying to deny what Riley was saying. He'd never hurt her. Never lay a finger on her.

'Don't try to speak. Feel free to scream. She will. I'll make sure of it.'

'F-f-fuck y-ou.' Spike stuttered out, blood spitting from his mouth as he forced the expletive out. Riley laughed loudly and grabbed a scalpel, rolling Spike over onto his stomach. The pain of the movement elicited another scream from the injured vamp, and it only served to increase Riley's mirth.

'You won't be in any condition to fuck anyone soon.' He snarled, running the scalpel over the back of Spike's head, exposing bone and blood. There was no struggle, as Spike had none left. 'You'll enjoy this. You ever see The Matrix?'

He picked up a computer lead and attached it to his own CPU panel in his chest, and then peeled back the skin on Spike's skull to show a small hole that had been left, treated so it would not heal after the chip had been implanted three years previous. He pushed the other end of the cable through the hole, smirking as it clicked into place. Spike simply grunted, his body going limp.

'This is one of my favourite games. War games. You can't die in your own head, but I can make you feel like you are.'

I-E-H

Buffy dispatched another hybrid with ease, and then stopped to catch her breath. She was getting tired, and more desperate with every passing minute. She could hear Spike's screams, but they seemed to come from different directions and she suspected Riley was behind it. Trying to make her go the wrong way so she was too late to save her vampire. Tears pricked at her eyes as she feel his pain numbing, terrified that every second his presence dimmed, so did he.

She couldn't lose him. She'd only just found him again.

The hybrids were disorientated. They were nowhere near as hard to kill as they had been. She'd heard one of them saying their commander-in-chief was now Riley, and she hoped that taking him out would end this. The gunfire from outside was echoing inside the complex now, so she could only assume that the army was advancing.

Three of the demon cyborgs were coming towards her, lumbering frames shaking the grated floor beneath her feet. She swiped her machete and took the head off the first one easily, dropping to the floor to swipe out with her leg and knock the second to the floor. The third grabbed her by a leg and an arm and swung her over a railing onto the platform below. She landed with a grunt, and realised her machete was above her. The demon who'd throw her jumped down and she rolled to the side to avoid behind squished.

It aimed a gun-turret arm at her as she stood, as she spun, effectively tore the arm from it's socket and plunging it through the hybrid's midsection. It snarled at her, before she ripped out the CPU on it's chest and it dropped to the floor dead. She grabbed the platform she been throw from without a pause and hoisted herself up onto it, coming into a defensive stance in front of the last member of the attacking group, only to find herself skewered by it's arm. She yelled in pain, snapped the offending weapon, pulling it from her own abdomen and jamming it through the monster's eye.

The hybrid hit the floor gurgling and Buffy sagged against the railing, holding her wound with both hands. Blood trickled through and she whimpered as she fell to the floor.

She never hit, as Angel caught her before she connected with the solid metal grating.

'Angel.' She whispered.

'Buffy.' He acknowledged and she hissed as he pulled her hands away to inspect the wound. 'It hasn't gone all the way through.' It's maybe an inch deep.'

'Good thing he wasn't closer. Fuck it hurts.' She snarled, looking down.

'Where's Spike?' He asked, trying to keep the venom from his voice.

'Don't start.' She said, pulling herself to her feet. She reached down for her discarded machete, wiping the blood and demon guts on the railing, ignoring Angel's look of distaste. 'I'm trying to find him.'

'Buffy...I can't sense him. That normally means...'

'_Don't_ even try to tell me he's dead. I know he isn't. I can still feel him. He's hurt...but he's _not_ dead.' She pointed the machete threateningly at her ex lover.

'The claim. It's still fresh. It may not be right. Buffy, he's my family, if I can't feel him...'

'Then what? He must be dead. You never gave a shit about Spike, so how do you know that your bond with him, or whatever you call it, hasn't diminished purely because you're an arrogant asshole?' Buffy turned away from him. 'I would know if my _mate_ was dead, Angel. I wouldn't be far behind him.'

'You can't mean that.' Angel scoffed, following her as she picked her way down another corridor. She whirled to face him.

'What? Because it isn't you? Because I'm yours?' She snorted in an unladylike fashion. 'Puh-lease. Do one, Peaches.' She turned away again, smirking at her inner-channelling of Spike.

'Buffy, it's _Spike._ Even if he is alive, he's not going to be any good for you. It's his fault this happened...'

_'Don't you dare!'_ She turned and punched Angel for all he was worth, sending him flying into a pile of demon body parts. 'He had little to no part in this whole Armageddon. Spike fucked up his part of the plan and turned against Adam to help _me_ live. He got me out. And he carried on being good, even when there wasn't much incentive left. He helped people, he helped me and dammit, he _loves_ me, without conditions, unlike _you._ You put me on a pedestal, the perfect little Slayer, built me up and tore me down and left me to die! You abandoned our love Angel, you gave up on me. Spike never quit on me. He could have convinced me to run from this, but he's faced it by my side and now he's paying the price. So don't you _dare_ tell me any of this is his fault!'

She took a breath, wiping at the tears flowing down her cheeks, calming herself down as she quietened her voice. 'I will always love you in some way Angel.' She approached him as he lay gobsmacked on the ground. 'But Spike was right a long time ago. We're not friends and never will be. I don't know you, I don't particularly like you. But I will always love you. And if you care about me, you'll help me find the man I am in love with.' She held her hand out to the downed vampire, helping him up. Angel brushed himself down and then took a breath as if to speak but Buffy interrupted him.

'And so help me, if you say he's not a man, you won't have the equipment left to say _you_ are.'

Angel went silent and if possible, even paler than before. He nodded in acquiescence and Buffy tightened her jaw, turning away and heading down the corridor before them. It was a few minutes of trudging in silence before the vampire dared speak again.

'Maybe we should try and regroup with the military. Attack in force to retrieve him.' He left out any doubt as to the other vampire's survival.

'There's no time.' Buffy replied curtly, stopping abruptly as a hybrid stepped out in front of them.

_-Hello Buffy-_

Riley's voice. Coming through the hybrid in front of her.

Creepy.

'Playing games, Riley?' Buffy snarled, raising her weapon. 'I'm going to cut you into so many pieces when I find you.' The hybrid laughed without laughing, which was even creepier.

_-You'll be too busy picking up the pieces of your vampire, I imagine-_

She didn't pause as she cut the hybrid in half and continued on her way.

I-E-H

Spike opened his eyes. He was laying on a battered green couch, and the ceiling looked exceptionally familiar.

Which wasn't surprising, as he was in Rupert's old flat in Sunnydale.

He pulled himself up by his arms, finding his wounds and the pain from the chip gone. Confusion at the situation had him frozen for a few minutes as he took in his surroundings. He was alone, or so he thought until Anya popped out from the kitchen. She smiled and he realised he'd retreated into his own subconscious to hallucinate for a while.

'No, no, no.' Anya smiled, handing him a cup of tea. 'You're in your own head, yes, a little world created by Riley. But he stepped out to taunt Buffy for a moment. So he'll be back.'

'Psychological torture? Nice.' Spike grimaced, and put the tea down on the coffee table. 'So why have I imagined you? I'd've thought it'd be Buffy here with me, bit of last minute comfort before robot-boy tears me apart.'

Anya smiled, reaching forward and patting his arm. 'I'm very real. I just snuck in whilst he wasn't looking. I heard you calling, you see, and I thought it was time I broadened my horizons.'

'Heard me...calling?' Spike didn't think he confusion could deepen and it wasn't the first time he'd been wrong.

'I became a vengeance demon again, after we ran from Sunnydale. With Xander dead, I was pretty heartbroken. Adam killed him you know. And Willow. Enjoyed it too.' Spike winced at her matter-of-fact tone. 'I wanted vengeance but couldn't do it myself, especially not human. D'Hoffren knew that eventually I would have my chance, so he gave me back my powers. Just in time to teleport myself away from this nutcase dimension until needed. And then you called.'

Spike nodded in understanding. 'Not a lot I can do. I can't fight Riley alone, he'll tear me limb from limb. I don't know where Buffy is. I can just about feel her, but the claim's new, so there's no telling how it would affect us. The bastard has damn near drained me dry. I'm more useless than a twig at this point.' He sighed. 'If only my connection to Buffy were stronger, over time it'd make us stronger together. She'd be able to find me. She'd be able to destroy Franken-Riley.'

Anya smiled as her face twisted into a veiny grotesque mask. 'Done.' Within the blink of an eye, she smiled again. 'It might take a few minutes.' She glanced warily towards the door. 'And he's coming back. I'd best leave or he'll finish you off quicker. Good luck.' She disappeared, leaving Spike alone as the door thundered open and Riley stormed in. Not demon-pieces Riley, but as he was before he was sliced and diced.

'Hostile 17.' He grinned widely and Spike saw he was still the monster. He shrank back, knowing that Riley was master here and he was hopeless to defeat him.

Not that he wouldn't go down trying.

He pulled himself back up to his full height and threw himself over the sofa at Riley, colliding with a brick wall. His opponent laughed loudly and pulled Spike up by his collar. 'I've something to show you.'

The flat disappeared and Spike found himself bound to the pillars under the stairs of the old Bronze. Directly in front of him, Buffy lay on the pool table, looking just as he'd last seen her, except she was bound by the wrists and pinned by her own weapon through the stomach. She coughed up blood and called for him to help. He strained against his bonds, forgetting that it wasn't real, his only urge to get to his love and help her. He vamped out, snarling and biting at the air as his bonds ripped his wrists.

Riley stepped forward from behind him. 'You won't get free, Hostile. You're my prisoner.' He walked over to the Buffy on the table, running his hand up her thigh. 'Now. Let's see which one of you screams first.'

Spike's eyes widened as he watched Riley attack his mate.

He screamed first.

I-E-H

A/N: Wow this chapter was hard to write. I was trying to describe just how evil Riley has become, and try to convey some of the despair both Buffy and Spike are feeling. I hope it came out okay. I didn't want to be too graphic but...sometimes it has to be done. Hoping to have another chapter up for you tomorrow, thought I'd be finished with this fic by now, but it's got a life of its own!


	17. Chapter 17

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

I-E-H

The pain was intense.

And very sudden.

She doubled over, clutching at her stomach, trying not to throw up the pittance she had eaten hours before. And it had been hours. Ages since she'd laid eyes on Spike, searching through this maze of corridors and steel, trying to find the only thing in the world that had kept her going. She couldn't fail now, couldn't let him down.

But damn, this hurt.

A hand on her shoulder made her bristle and she groaned, putting all of her will and strength into standing straight. Fire burned through her veins and she felt weak for a second, and then it passed and she was left with...something else.

Her eyesight sharpened and a newfound strength flowed into her, body and soul.

'Spike.' Buffy whispered, her eyes glazing over for a second.

'Where?' Angel asked and she jumped, having forgotten he was there for a second. He looked at her with those big soulful brown eyes and she felt anger towards him. Many things leapt into her mind, memories that she was sure weren't hers, and she had to look away from him.

'I can feel him. Stronger...' she murmured, closing her eyes and reaching out to her vampire, feeling something akin to a thread between them, bonding them together. She knew all she had to do was follow the thread, it would lead her to him.

'What thread?' The darker vampire was confused and looked around. Buffy realised she must have spoken out loud. 'I don't see a thread?'

'Of course _you_ can't see it.' Buffy snapped, pulling away from him as he tried to keep hold of her. 'You can't see what's two feet in front of you, Peaches.'

'_Stop_ calling me that.' He growled out. 'You sound like Spike.' He sniffed. 'I can't even smell him, let alone sense him.' Buffy glared at him over her shoulder.

'Well I can feel him. He's badly hurt. And he's scared.' She frowned. 'Spike doesn't get scared. I've never seen him...this is bad. This is very bad.' She tightened her grip around the machete she carried, her knuckles turning white. The anger inside her was rising by the second and she was itching to chop something up. The growl she let out took Angel by surprise and she took off at a run down the corridor, not caring if the other vampire followed.

Her mind was focused on only one thing. Nothing else was of any consequence.

I-E-H

'Buffy, I don't understand. I don't...we're mated, this can't be happening.' Spike pleaded with the Slayer as she pushed him back to the ground.

'You knew this would happen one day, Spike.' She said, both sweetly and callously. 'I've always wanted Angel, always loved Angel. I thought about him whilst we were together. You must have known.'

Her words ripped through him like a knife. 'But...Buffy...'

'_But...Buffy..._' Angel mimicked from behind the blond slayer. 'He always was pathetic and weak. He was the same with Drusilla. Thought she was his _destiny. _Just can't hold a woman down can you, Willy?'

'Willy? That's such a lame nickname.' Buffy scoffed, curling into Angel's arms as Spike lay desolate on the floor. Tears tracked down his cheeks as he watched the woman he loved with the man he loathed, their mouths meeting a fusing in a kiss that was not theirs. He tried to look away but found he could not, as Riley crouched beside him and tutted.

'She is a little hussy isn't she? Wouldn't you love to rip her throat out right now?' He whispered, smiling at the tensing of Spike's muscles, until the vampire turned to him and fixed red rimmed eyes to his.

'I wouldn't hurt a hair on her head.'

Riley growled in frustration, and the scene shimmered as they landed in Spike's crypt, watching as Buffy kicked the door in. Spike looked confused for a second before he backed up against a wall. The Slayer stormed towards him, stake raised as she advanced.

She staked him, plunged the stake down and the world disappeared into dust.

Except he wasn't dust. He was in the cemetery, kneeling on the floor and holding Buffy in his arms, his clothes saturated with her blood, her heart slowing.

'Wouldn't it be easier? Just to kill her. You'll never save her, never keep her.'

Spike tried to ignore Riley, instead putting his hand over the gaping wound in his Slayer's neck, trying to stem the bloodflow.

'You're not going to save her. She blames you for this.'

Riley's voice cut him, but he didn't know the truth. He looked at the Buffy in his arms, sobbing as she stared back at him. Her eyes were huge and glassy, she was terrified...but her gaze held condemnation and hatred for him. He was stunned.

They were mated. This couldn't be happening. He'd lost her. She'd die trying to save him. Riley was right, he wasn't worthy of her. Even if she did save him, and they survived, she'd go back to Angel. She didn't need him any more.

_You're being an idiot, Spike. I'd never leave. We're connected, heart and soul. I love you and I'm coming for you._

'Lies.' Spike whispered, as the Buffy in his arms died. He wept freely and Riley laughed behind him, hooking his arm round the vampire's neck and dragging him away. He held him up, and as Spike struggled, Riley aimed a solid punch to his kidney.

'See, in the real world, this won't do any damage. But you'll still feel it. The mind is an amazing thing.' He looked across the cemetery and pointed out a figure coming towards them. 'Her fears, your fears...you won't win. Not this time, Hostile. You're nothing compared to me and _my_ army.'

The figure stepped out in front of them and Spike shook his head, a denial passing his lips. Buffy stood in front of him, but not as Buffy any more. Riley dropped him and stepped towards her, his body once again that of the hybrid, not the soldier guise he'd held since starting this torture. He looked down as the crumpled vampire, who backed up against a tombstone, his eyes wide with horror at what had befallen his mate.

Half her face was green scales, her hair half gone. Her body was a mix of parts, grey skin meshed with yellows and blues, only one leg remaining human. Her eyes held nothing of the emotion she'd shown the last time she saw him, and she was covered only in a think white tank top and combats, ripped at the knees. Her left arm was the same scaled green as her face, with the hand missing and a blade in it place. The right arm was that of a Frolax demon, the only part in the bunch that he recognised.

She looked between Spike and Riley, and sneered at the dishevelled vampire. Riley pulled her to him.

'They called Adam, the Demon King. Now I'll take his title, his domain, and she'll be my Queen.' He smiled, running a clawed hand down Franken-Buffy's body. 'I kept all the important parts intact. Although, I might end up causing some damage. But she won't notice. She'll enjoy it and beg for more. All because I tell her too.' He looked over to Spike. 'Killing her would be such a waste.'

Spike shook his head, his mouth forming silent protests that he couldn't voice.

_'Don't listen, Spike. I'm coming.'_

Riley cocked his head as if he could hear that voice too. He frowned. 'Killing you, on the other hand...' He dropped to the floor in front of Spike and suddenly they were back in the lab, and the stark white burnt Spike's eyes. 'Would be a great pleasure.'

Blinding pain struck Spike, and all he could do was scream.

I-E-H

Buffy yelped as she felt more pain again. It faded as quickly as it started and it spurred her on more. She could feel the disorientation and fear from her mate, and she tried to send positive thoughts to him, following her instinct to find him.

A scream echoed round them and she ground to a halt. Angel snarled behind her, as the overwhelming smell of blood filled the corridor. Two hybrids came towards them, but it took seconds for Buffy to dispatch them. She stopped, looking to Angel for confirmation, fear evident on her face.

'He's here. I can smell him now, don't need to sense him.' Buffy nodded, looking toward the bunker-type door a few metres ahead. She _knew_ Spike was behind that door. The scream had stopped, but the smell of blood was only getting worse. And she was terrified of opening that door. Angel tensed suddenly, and they both turned towards the sound of a dozen demon cyborgs coming towards them. 'Buffy...you have to go. I'll hold these off. Get Spike. Get him out of there!' She had no time to contemplate the sudden concern in Angel's voice.

She ripped the door open without a second thought and threw herself through, finding no time to react as the door slammed shut and locked behind her, blocking off the noises of the fight Angel had begun. She was alone in a corridor, brilliantly lit and windowless. The floor was steel grating, like much of the complex, and the walls tiled. It was a sterile environment. A laboratory.

Too much like a hospital for her liking.

A shiver worked its way up her spine as she approached the only door at the end of the white hallway. It was a door that required a code, but as she laid a hand across the input pad, it clicked and opened, revealing a large room beyond.

A room that would have been white and sterile, if not for the enormous amount of blood covering the floor.

Spike's blood.

Buffy baulked at the sight before her, and tears sprang unbidden from her eyes. Her vampire lay, bruised, bloodied, cut and mangled, spread across a table like a high-school dissection gone horribly wrong. One of his eyes was swollen shut, his scalp was cut open and dripping blood slowly into the growing puddle beneath him. One leg was stripped of skin to the muscle, and his stomach was a mess, open wounds and parts she never needed to see.

'You're early.' An angry voice sounded behind her. 'You never did follow instruction properly.'

'I never did like rules, Riley. I thought you knew that.' Buffy turned, swallowing her nausea at what he had done to Spike, and faced the monster her ex had become with determination and hatred in her eyes.

'You never would have lasted in the military, Buffy.' His discoloured eyes raked over her lithe form and she recoiled in disgust. 'But I can change that. You just need a little reprogramming.'

'You want to make me like _you_?' She spat. 'Please. I didn't think much of our relationship when you didn't look like something out of a hammer horror.'

Riley grinned, and the sight was grotesque. Buffy gripped her machete and gritted her teeth. 'You like the improvements I've made to your tamed Hostile?' He asked, and her grip on the weapon tightened further as he tilted his head in pride. 'I'll even let you keep him as your pet afterwards. He hasn't got a chip anymore though, so he'll probably bite.' He emphasised the point by gnashing his mismatched jaws together and Buffy shuddered visibly. Riley chortled at the action and reached out to her. She jumped back as if burnt. 'Aww, Buff. Don't worry, you'll not feel a thing.'

Buffy froze and Riley smiled in triumph.

Before the tiny powerful hands of the Slayer clamped around his arm and snapped the partially mechanical hand from its holding.

Silence befell them for a second, before Riley roared and backhanded her over towards Spike. Her weapon went flying as she hit the floor and skidded in the vampire's blood and she fought the urge to vomit. She had to kill Riley.

'You dare? You think you can best me as easily as Adam? He spent hours attached to his monitors, he couldn't fight like me before and not now. I am superior to him!'

_Except Adam hasn't pissed me off anywhere near as much as you have._

Buffy pulled herself to her feet, using the gurney Spike laid on and whispering an apology as she pushed him back out of the way. The gurney hit the wall with a clang, but the vampire made no noise. _He's not dead. No dust. He's not dead. You can still feel him._

Riley advanced towards and Buffy noticed with dismay that he was a lot quicker than Adam. He didn't have the fire power that Adam had though, and she prayed to God that he didn't have the nuclear power centre. Although, it wouldn't hurt to tear him into tiny pieces just to check.

The vampire on the table groaned and Buffy felt her heart jump at the confirmation of life behind her, even as Riley swung a fist at her and she had to duck. She used the momentum to rugby tackle him into the wall at the far end of the lab and she shouted as she pummelled his abdomen ruthlessly.

She didn't have the power that Xander and Willow had bequeathed her, but she did have a new feeling of strength coursing through her veins that she could only attribute to the increased bond between her and Spike. She didn't know what had happened there but she was damn grateful.

The door to the lab had swung shut, but a pounding came from the other side and that distracted Riley.

'Still can't do this on your own, huh?' He pulled her up by her throat and slammed her to the floor, placing a foot on her chest and pushing down. Buffy pushed up with all her might, but for the moment, he had the upper hand. 'Adam slaughtered your friends once before and they were pathetic. These ones can't be any better. The human _filth_, the impure that I've had to dispatch over the years. It's been a pleasure. Only wish I'd got to that pretty little redhead first.'

Buffy flared up with anger and pushed Riley foot off of her body, spinning on the floor and landing a square kick between his legs before pushing away. Riley yelped in pain and the girl in Buffy was extremely satisfied that he still had the tools to be hurt by that age old manoeuvre. He recovered quickly however, and Buffy scrambled to her feet. She could hear Angel yelling now.

Riley snarled at her. 'That one was for free. The next one is chargeable.'

'I don't have credit.' Buffy snapped back, landing a square kick to his chest and he stumbled backwards. He swung his handless arm towards her and almost connected with her head, but as she dodged, he struck out with the other arm, connecting and knocking her into a monitoring station, sparks flying as she destroyed the equipment.

'Was quite fun getting inside your hostile's head you know. He couldn't stand seeing all the torture you inflicted on him. Especially watching _us_ together Buffy. We were so good. We could be better, you know.' He leered at her again, and grabbed her, pulling her body flush with his hard one and she felt sick. A quick headbutt solved the problem and he let go as she spun her way out of his grip. She dropped to the floor and scrambled for the machete, ignoring the fact that it was slick with Spike's blood.

'There's only one way you'll be better, Riley.' She swung the machete expertly, her eyes fixed on him with a deadly determination. 'In pieces.'

I-E-H

A/N: Do hope you all enjoyed that. I'm still working on the next chapter, hoping to have up soon. I've even got a week off work to try and get this story finished!


	18. Chapter 18

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

I-E-H

She was here. She wasn't too late. He could feel her close by, but the pain from his destroyed body was overwhelming him. He felt the surface he was on move and the pain of connecting with the floor. All he could do was lie there, feeling like a prisoner in his own body. He so desperately wanted to hold on, see her again, make sure she was okay but the pain was too much. All he could do was give in to the darkness and hope that the next time he opened his eyes, it was to see her golden visage.

I-E-H

Buffy was tired. Tired of fighting, tired of the war, tired of struggling. This was the end. Riley was going down and the army with him. The banging on the door had not ceased, and she could hear Angel shouting for her. It would be much easier if he could kick the door down and give her a hand but it was unlikely that was going to happen.

Riley was circling her, and she was trying to keep him away from Spike. The gurney had upturned during their last clash, and Spike was now on the floor, safeguarded from any immediate attack from the monster she was facing. She still worried, still felt the stench of blood tickling at her senses. If he could just hold on until she dismembered this bastard...

Her opponent lunged for her again, and she ducked, twisting out of his grasp and luring him further away from her downed mate. She swung the machete, taking a lump out of his back and he snarled, reaching for the wound and grimacing at the sight of black blood on his remaining hand. Even though he only had one, it didn't seem to be making much of a difference to his fighting technique. He was using his size against her and it was looking like a different outcome every second.

Buffy looked around, then ran for a steel worktop, jumping onto it and using it as a springboard to launch herself, contorting her body in the air to land a decent strike at the back of Riley's neck. He roared in anger and span, grabbing her round the midsection. She lost her weapon again and frantically reached for it as she found herself in his vice-like grip, his hand clamped onto his severed wrist. He laughed maniacally and squeezed tight, the rewarding sound of her ribs breaking music to his ears. She screamed, tears biting at her vision as he held tighter.

At least five of her ribs were broken, and he was aiming for more.

'You and me together again Buffy. Just think. We'll create carnage.' He whispered, in what his mind probably passed for a romantic proposal. Buffy cringed, wincing more at her broken bones grating together. She shook her head and looked down, feeling another rib crack under the pressure.

'Not gonna happen.' She snarled, clawing at his flesh and using all her remaining strength to elbow him hard in the side of the head. He loosened his grip and she took the opportunity to free herself, squirming from his arms and falling to the ground. He shook off the daze caused by her blow and lumbered towards her. She threw herself forwards, grabbing her weapon and turning swiftly, slashing through his right leg and taking it off halfway down the calf. He screamed and fell sideways, clutching the stump of his lower leg, black blood pumping through his fingers.

'Bet that hurt.' Buffy grunted, pulling herself to her feet and clutching her injured abdomen. 'There's a reason I obsessively sharpened this baby. Giles always taught me proper weapons maintenance.'

'My parents always taught me not to attack a cornered dog.' Riley spat, gritting his teeth.

'And I bet they're so proud of their corn fed boy now.' She replied, standing over him. She held the machete above her head, preparing to strike him again, but he kicked out with his left leg and brought her tumbling down on top of him.

'Oh baby. You always were a spitfire on top.' He leered, and she struggled as he held her down, before rolling his weight on top of her. 'But the man should always be in charge.' He bent his head forward and licked up her jawline. She punched him, hard, and tried to escape but he was just too heavy.

'Get the fuck off me.' She snarled, biting his cheek hard and gagging at the taste. He reared back and slapped her hard, but the action freed the hand holding her weapon and before he could bring his disgusting face so close to her, she shoved the sharp blade through his midsection, twisting it in place before pulling it out. He spluttered, spat foul smelling black goo over her and rolled off, clutching the gaping hole in his side.

Buffy clambered to her feet, her body weary and exhausted, her mind reeling and angry.

'This is your end Riley. You were never going to win this fight.' The Slayer stood over him again, knowing this time, he wouldn't be recovering. Sparks were coming out of the metal box in his chest, the same one all the hybrids sported. 'You know why?' She leant close. 'Because I'm just too damn good.' He looked up at her with malice in his eyes.

The door finally flew open and Angel raced in, looking worse for wear. Buffy glanced at him and frowned. 'You took your time.'

Angel shrugged. 'Tough door. Need a hand?'

'Get Spike out of here.' Buffy motioned towards the upturned gurney. Angel looked around the side of it and went a funny shade of green as he took in the sight of the younger vampire. 'Now, Angel. No time for being a girl about it.'

'You really are starting to sound like him.' The dark vampire muttered, pulling the gurney away and carefully removing Spike from the floor. There was no response from the injured vamp and Angel's forehead creased in concern.

'I'll be right behind you.' Buffy said, her eyes drifting over the prone and damaged form of her mate. 'I've just gotta take care of the clean up.' She looked back to Riley, who was trying to rise again. Angel nodded, glanced at Riley and then left, taking her mate with him. She turned back to her former boyfriend and hoisted the machete up again.

'You can't kill every hybrid.' He ground out, trying to inch away from her.

'Watch me. You've lost. The hybrids are nothing but minions. Adam is dead and you're about to follow in his footsteps.'

'You really think you can rebuild this world?' Riley asked.

Buffy shrugged. 'Not for me to do. I've done my job.' She looked at her weapon and smiled. 'I meant what I said. You really will look better in pieces.' Her smile stretched as she advanced.

Moments later she caught up to Angel, Riley's head held in one hand and a steely look on her face. The vampire looked at the head and then at her, a worried look on his face.

'Did you enjoy that a bit too much?'

'I had every right too.' She replied and he left it at that.

I-E-H

When they reached the exit of the Pentagon, the sky was lightening. The hybrids outside had all been massacred, and clean up teams were going in to clear out the building. Giles came jogging towards them with a medical team, and Buffy felt all the strength leave her as she watched them load Spike onto a stretcher. She collapsed to the floor, her breath coming in ragged sobs as she launched Riley's dismembered head away from her. Giles put his arm around her and along with Angel, they helped her up and followed after the medical team with their precious cargo.

Hours passed in a daze. Buffy was aware of people asking her for a report, and Giles telling them to leave it for the time being. She knew people had come to check on her. The medical teams had stapled and sewed Spike back together, but he was still bloodied and bruised, emaciated from where he had been drained. They'd given him a transfusion but it hadn't worked. Angel had given him some of his blood, claiming the familial link could do some good but it hadn't. She'd been seconds from cracking open a vein before Giles had stopped her, telling her to do some healing herself, that she needed all her blood at the moment to fix the damage the fight had done her.

Her mom came by soon after she had been left alone with him, and she sobbed into her arms for what seemed like forever. They sat there all day, watching over the unbreathing, unmoving vampire. Buffy talked to him, told him about the fight he'd missed, reassured him that she was there and never leaving. Joyce scolded him for worrying her so.

Nothing worked.

Even when Giles had finally said she was able to give him blood, it hadn't done anything. Nothing in 36 hours. She hadn't slept, hadn't eaten - how could she without knowing he was going to be okay.

Angel came back again, insisting she get some sleep and eat something. She put up a fight, and he relented that she could stay with him but she had to sleep. So she curled up beside Spike on the bed, grasping his hand, whispering to him until exhaustion came, hoping her dreams would reveal a way to save him.

Nothing.

I-E-H

It had been four days.

He hadn't woken up for her blood. Nor for Angel's, nor for the transfusions they had given him. She'd heard the general asking why they were wasting resources on a vampire, to which he had been severely reprimanded by Giles and Joyce, reminded that without Spike, there would have been no victory over the enemy.

Buffy had wanted to scream at them. But she didn't have the energy. She sat by his side and held his hand, ignoring all interaction with anyone else. She was terrified that if she let go, he would turn to dust and she'd be alone.

She didn't want to be alone again.

Tiree and Ryan came by. Said they were leaving for parts unknown. Buffy had nodded and wished them well, but then she'd returned to her vigil. Ryan had left and Tiree had stayed for a few moment, sitting opposite the slayer, watching the small blonde woman across the inert body of her lover.

'He will wake up. From what I saw, nothing could keep him from you for long.' Tiree spoke quietly, not wanting to make Buffy jump. She looked fragile and worn out. 'And he's going to be pissed you've made yourself sick like this.' Buffy looked up at that and a small smile caught the corner of her mouth.

'He probably will be. But I can't...I just can't leave him. I don't want him to wake when I'm not here. He has to know that I didn't leave.'

'He'll know. Buffy he knows how much you love him. Otherwise, what you two shared couldn't have been real. It wouldn't have worked.' Tiree looked over to the door, knowing Ryan was waiting outside for her. 'The world went to shit. You've done your job, and you've done it well. Just trust that in this horrible situation, you've got something good and no one can keep that from you.' She bent over and kissed Spike on the forehead. 'Wake up soon big guy, your girl needs a kick up the arse.'

I-E-H

If she'd owned a watch, she have been counting the minutes.

As it was, she had no idea of how long it had been since Tiree had left. She didn't know if it was night or day.

She wasn't sure if she cared anymore.

Would he ever wake up? Would he recover? Would he still be the same Spike?

Not that it mattered to her. She was here to stay. Her mother had brought her food and drink, and a change of clothes. She'd fussed over changing her dressings on her wounds. And Buffy had let her, all the while refusing to let go of Spike's hand for more than a few seconds at a time. Joyce had eventually given up, and the tray of food lay untouched on the chair next to her.

A knock at the door didn't disturb her, and she didn't look up when the door opened, nor when the soft footsteps came towards her. The hand on her shoulder didn't give her cause to look up, but the gentle voice that reached her ears made hope spring inside her again, and she looked up to see a face she'd missed.

'You know, he's not going to be happy when he wakes up.'

'Tara!' Buffy breathed, gripping her friend's hand almost to the point of pain, before remembering her strength and dropping it with a swift apology.

'Has he made any progress?' She asked, moving the tray of food and placing it on the table behind them. She took the seat and started checking Spike's wounds, seeing that they were healing without any need for her help. 'I tried to get here sooner, but I missed the convoy and had to make my own way.'

'I'm glad you missed the fight. I wouldn't want you in the middle of that. It was...horrible. Terrifying.' Buffy's gaze returned to the face of her mate. 'He hasn't moved. I thought by now...I don't even know how long it's been anymore.'

'It's been about six days, sweetheart.' Tara finished her inspection of his injuries. 'He's healing well. Something is keeping him inside his head.'

'Can we fix that?' Buffy asked. The medics had tried to speak to her before but she'd not registered it, the doctors wouldn't know much about vampire healing.

'I honestly don't know, Buffy. But we can certainly try.' The witch whispered reassuringly, placing her hand over the one Buffy clasped.

'We can certainly try.'

I-E-H

A/N: I'm not done yet! Few more to go peoples, but I'm hoping this chapter keeps you going until the next!


	19. Chapter 19

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

I-E-H

Buffy wasn't prepared. Not in the slightest. She'd listened to Tara's instructions, nodded when she thought she should but she hadn't been prepared to be thrown into…this.

Spike's mind. Which apparently had the settings of a completely restored Sunnydale.

A Sunnydale before her life imploded, before her friends died.

Dewy wet grass was under her feet, and the tombstones around her were just as she remembered. Mr Hawkins, buried by the old oak tree that had seen too many storms; Lady Maples, laid to rest in front of the crypt that had once had a name but the stone had since eroding past the point of being able to read its once-proud title. She knew if she took twenty four steps to the right, she'd be in front of the Alpert crypt that she'd thrown a demon against one, and smooshed it's brains out on the sarcophagus next to it.

And she also knew that a two minute walk past the small group of trees just beyond that crypt was another. A crypt that he'd taken up residence in when he'd left Giles' apartment.

She'd bet money he'd be in there if he was hiding from something.

She certainly wasn't expecting him to be outside, bloodied and bruised, involved in a particular nasty fight with Angel. Or Angelus, if she was correct about the leather pants. God, she hated those pants. Wasn't a bit fan of the silk shirts he wore either.

Spike was dressed in that leather coat, the jeans and t-shirt completing the look she remembered so well. His hair was bleach blond again – she hadn't realised how much she missed his bad boy look. Not that he wasn't still sexy in army fatigues and with short brown hair.

'Come on, Willy, you're slacking!' Angelus taunted, not noticing her approach until she grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him backwards. She winced as he hit a "Laura Price" and snapped the deceased woman's final marker in half. She had always felt bad about that consequence of her job. It seemed disrespectful.

'Buffy?' Spike asked quietly, from his sprawled position on the floor. Blood trickled down his top lip from his nose, which looked busted.

_Cause you never broke his nose, huh Buffy? _

She blushed at her inner thought and moved over to help him up from the floor. He took it, confused but grateful as Angelus pulled himself up from the ruined grave, brushing down those awful pants as he cackled.

'Buff! How nice to see you. Didn't think you'd show up, least of all to save this sorry bastard. He's better off in here you know?' He grinned, and it made it look like his face was snapping in half. 'Or dead. Whichever works.'

Buffy frowned. 'So, you're not Angelus? You're just…'

'Oh, I'm not a figment of Spike's imagination either. But I'm not going to let him leave. He's mine.' He took a step towards them and Buffy felt Spike flinch. 'And he knows that, don't you, Willy?'

'M'not yours. Bugger off.' Spike said, but his voice held none of the swagger he had before everything had kicked off. Buffy looked between her mate and her former, and then dropped Spike's hand. She fell into a defensive stance. Angelus laughed.

'Please! You think you can fight me, in here? This is my world, Buff, _I _make the rules. And my rules say…' The cemetery disappeared, and Buffy reached back to grab Spike, only to find he wasn't there anymore. She felt sick as the world spun and twisted around her. Shackles came from nowhere and attached themselves to her wrists and feet. '…what goes on around here.'

The mansion materialised around her and she looked around, noticing nothing had changed. She was changed in the same spot she had bound Faith all those years ago, and Spike was chained above the fireplace, the fire roaring behind him, his shirt and coat missing, naked from the waist up. He was sweating profusely and trying to get away from the heat. Angelus was stood in front of her, a branding iron in hand; the shape of a capital "A".

'This used to be one of my favourite implements. Never worked on vampires, they healed too quickly. You can ask him that.' He inclined his head towards the bound Spike. Buffy kept her eyes on her enemy, not wanting to give him the benefit of seeing her weak. 'But humans…oh they used to make such sweet sounds. I'm wondering if Spike would replicate some of those for me. He's so breakable in here. I don't know what you see in him, honestly. He's weak. He was always weak, but now it's just _pathetic._'

_Why in the hell would…Spike's human. Whatever has him in here is playing on his fears. He's never wanted to be human again…and now he has no choice. Damn these chains are strong._

She pulled at her bonds as Angelus approached Spike with the brand, plunging it into the fire and heating it until it glowed red. Spike struggled and pulled at him bonds, sweating all the while, fear reflecting in his eyes as he tried to get away from the brand coming towards him. But to no avail; Angelus brought the brand down, right onto the pale skin of his chest and Buffy had to look away as Spike screamed, the smell of burning flesh making her gag.

His scream stopped abruptly as he began to weep softly and Buffy's heart broke. Angelus stroked the burn, making Spike jump and squirm some more. 'He never used to scream. Not after the first time. I had to get…inventive. He probably wouldn't ever tell you…the things we did together. The things he was very, _very_ good at.' The dark vampire ran his hands over Spike's bare chest, and the smaller man squirmed.

'Let him go!' Buffy shouted, not wishing to see the adventures of S&M Angelus played out in front of her. 'Seriously, come and face me, seeing as he's helpless. Don't you want a real fight, Angelus?' She scoffed, seeing as she'd got his attention away from Spike. He stalked towards her, very slowly, ire on his face as she laughed at him. 'Of course you don't. You never could take me. I killed you once before, I can kill you again.'

'Shut up! This is my place, my world! I control him. He will endure whatever I require! I suggest you go back to wherever you came from before I decide to keep you too.'

'I'll find a way out.' Buffy said slowly, knowing that this definitely wasn't Angelus, as he would never have lost his temper like that. This was something different.

'Trust me, you won't.' He said, a cold calculating smile spreading over his face, and his form shimmered for a second, like a glitch. 'I'll kill you before you get the chance.' He picked up a knife from a table beside her, which she hadn't noticed before. 'I think I'll start now.'

He advanced on her, and she shut her eyes, remembering that this wasn't real. Felt real enough when the first cut came and she gritted her teeth against the pain. Which again, felt very real.

Spike shouted something, and she opened her eyes as Angelus moved away.

'I said get over here, you ponce!' Spike was angry, fighting against his chains. She watched as Angelus snapped in anger and punched Spike with such force it broke the bonds on his hands and sending him flying across the bench next to the fireplace. He hit it with a sickening crunch and didn't get up. Angelus smiled and kicked the prone form, waiting for a reaction before kneeling down and checking the body for a pulse.

'Oops.' Angelus shrugged, turning to Buffy. 'Killed him again.' He picked the body up, smiling at the tears in Buffy's eyes, and then dumped it in the fire as she screamed for him to stop.

_He's not dead, can't be dead._

'Give it a few minutes Buff.' Angelus walked over to her, ignoring the smoke filling the room. 'Been nice seeing you.' He ran his hand down her face and then disappeared from view. Buffy stood alone, shackled to the wall, confused at what had happened. If Spike was dead, why was she still here?

I-E-H

He wasn't dead. He was laying opposite her on the floor of an office. Buffy propped herself up, wondering where her shackles went and why she was laying on some of the itchiest carpet known to man. She crawled over to check on Spike and found him without pulse, which made her unsure of his still-living status. Shaking him gently, she whispered his name.

'Spike.' He didn't move or respond. 'Spike, wake up.'

He groaned and rolled onto his side, opening his eyes and looking at her, his eyes cloudy for a second before he sat bolt upright. 'Christ….that doesn't get any easier.' He held his head and Buffy frowned.

'What doesn't get any easier?' She asked, checking him over. His clothes were back as they had been in the cemetery and she didn't see any wounds on him.

'Every time it kills me.' He mumbled, pulling himself to his feet. He offered her a hand and she took it. 'This is a new scenario. It's been mostly Angelus and Franken-Riley, a couple of enemies from my past. Same game, torture, pain, agony and death. Then a reset. Seemed I was getting weaker each time. Then I saw him threaten you. I've seen it before, but you're real aren't you? You're not the fake Buffy it creates to make me squirm. You're real, and him threatening the real you made me stronger.'

'I'm not fake. Tara sent me in. She said something was holding you in here. I'm assuming it's this "it" you keep talking about.'

'Soldier boy…he managed to get in my mind before you turned up. Plugged himself in. I think he left something behind, a virus of some sort. I can't kill it and it's been taking over everything in here.' His voice sounded far away and terrified.

'It can't kill you for real though right?' Buffy asked, worry caused her forehead to crease as she continued to check him over.

'I don't know.' He whispered, looking her dead in the eye. 'It's done…things Buffy. Made me watch things that felt so real…I don't want it to hurt you for real.'

'I don't think it can. And Tara will pull me out if anything looks bad.' Buffy cupped his face. 'But I'm hoping you'll be coming with me.'

'How long has it been since…?' He trailed off and she looked guilty for not coming in sooner.

'About six days. It felt like longer. I didn't want to leave you.' She looked him dead in the eyes, and somehow knew that for him it had been much longer. 'Mom came by, Giles, even Angel.' He winced slightly. 'Tiree and Ryan left. I don't know where they went.' He moved away, looking around the office.

'This is definitely a new place for it.' Spike muttered, looking at the files on the desk. 'We're still in Sunnydale, but I don't recognise this place.'

Buffy looked around and followed him to the desk, looking down at what he was perusing. She paled a little. 'This is the Mayor's office. It looks like whatever "it" is has decided to make this a more personal adventure for me.' Looking to Spike, she took his hand. 'Do you feel stronger than before? Is me being here helping?'

He smiled. 'More than you know.'

'Well, well, well. Isn't this touching?' The couple froze and Buffy turned to face the voice.

Richard Wilkins stood in front of them, his hands clasped together and a creepy smile on his face.

So not the person she wanted to see.

I-E-H

A/N: a short one for now, hoping it will be a maximum of two days before I have the next chapter up! Enjoy!


	20. Chapter 20

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

I-E-H

The Mayor was by far one of the least favourite Big Bads she'd ever faced. He was creepy. Beyond creepy. She didn't think there was a word to describe the creepiness that was Richard Wilkins III.

Nothing could encompass his evil.

But this wasn't him. This was whatever remnants of Riley had decided to infiltrate Spike's brain and play la-la-land with his insides. Spike didn't seem overly intimidated by the Mayor, but Buffy knew that if Masquerade-Mayor was anything like the real thing, they would be in for a world of trouble before they got out of here.

'You two look so cute together.' Wilkins said, clapping his hands together and clasping them tightly as he leant against the cupboard by the door. 'Not that it'll last. Spike knows that, don't you Spike?' The vampire in question glowered, not showing any fear, probably because he didn't recognise the fear that this guy usually instilled in people he tried to intimidate. Buffy just hope this particular scenario wouldn't end with a giant snake.

Wilkins laughed, seemingly sensing her trepidation. He shook his head, standing straight. 'No, Miss Summers. I'm not the one you have to be worried about. I've got something to keep you entertained however, something I know you'll relish especially. I've got plenty of time whilst your vampire's brain melts to goo. He can't die like that, but he certainly won't be getting out of whatever bed you've got him rotting in.' Spike growled, and Buffy paled. She hadn't figured that they could do that. If Spike had been doing this over and over for six days, would he be able to heal from the damage. 'Your blood gave me a run for my money, trying to fix everything. But he won't get out of here. You're free to leave. I don't need to hurt you. I will, but I don't need to.'

The Slayer looked to Spike, who seemed more angry than anything. Wilkins gauged their reactions for a moment then smiled, cocking his head to the side as footsteps came from the corridor behind him.

'Ah, it seems our guest of honour has arrived. She will be so happy to see you.'

_She? Oh god not…_

'Hey B, long time no see.'

Buffy's eyes narrowed. 'Faith.' She snorted. 'This is the best you could come up with? I sliced her up once before, I'll do it again if I have to. What the hell will this accomplish?'

'Well, if I can't rule the world like I intended, then I'll have to settle for causing the unending misery of your soul.' Faith grinned, evil like Buffy hadn't seen in her before glinting in her eyes.

'He wants to kill me. My essence. It'll cause you intense pain, pain you won't be able to bear. You'd probably go crazy before finally doing yourself in. He's using the claim against us.' Spike muttered under his breath.

'Clever boy.' Faith smiled, walking over to him. 'I can see why you'd pick this one, B. Pity he's vampire scum.' She spat, in a voice not entirely her own. The real Faith would have purred and made a crude remark about having her own way with him. Whatever part of Riley this was, he hated vampires beyond reason. 'I'll enjoy making him squeal like a stuck pig.'

'You won't get the chance.' Buffy kicked out and knocked Faith clean across the room into the Mayor, then grabbed Spike's hand. They ran past the collapsed figures on the floor, ignoring the echoing sound of Faith's laughter.

'We can't outrun them here Buffy. He controls this place.' Spike yelled, watching Buffy ahead of him as she turned and twisted through corridors. But as it appeared, they were literally in a maze. She stopped, picked a door and kicked it open, running inside and pulling the vampire behind her. She shut the door quickly and turned to him. He eyed her, a loss of hope in his eyes as she shook her head.

'No. You're stronger than this.'

'He's going to find us.'

'This is _your_ mind, Spike! You're king here. You need to start changing things and fighting back.' She shrieked, grabbing him by the shoulders. He sagged.

'I can't.' He said, miserably. 'I don't see the point. He's stronger and he's going to win.'

'That's what I thought in that lab. Then I dragged his head out with me.' Buffy snarled, punching him in frustration. His head snapped back, and when he looked back at her, blood dripping from a split lip, his eyes held resignation.

'And this is where we end up.' He sighed. 'You're better off without me. I can break the claim, surrender you, it'll save you from whatever happens to me.'

'Don't you _dare._' She ground out. 'Don't you dare pull an Angel on me. Don't tell me what I am and aren't. I love you, I chose you.'

'Lack of options.' He whispered and earned himself a slap.

'I don't know what he's been feeding you all this time, whatever he's done to you, you _know_ deep down, that what we have is worth fighting back.'

'You left me.'

Buffy froze. 'What?'

'Hundreds of times. He showed me. All the ways you'll hurt me. Angel is waiting out there for you. It's only a matter of time.'

'Would you listen to yourself?' She stared at him in disbelief. 'This isn't you. He's got so far into your head that you're believing the tripe he's fed you. I will never leave. I couldn't. I _love_ you, you dolt, and we are getting out of here. But we can't do it unless you believe it.'

'What if I can't?' He asked desperately, and she knew from the look in his eyes that he didn't believe what she was saying. 'What if…what if everything he's said is true?'

'IT'S NOT!' She shouted, pushing him. She knew that resorting to violence was not the way to solve this but it was the way she always went. She wanted to hurt Riley, wanting to pull him apart, but she'd already done that. This was a battle of the mind, and Buffy knew she couldn't do it without Spike. She stopped for a second, and their gazes locked, before she threw herself into his arms, kissing him furiously. He didn't respond for a few seconds, and then he grabbed her and kissed her back.

'I will,' She breathed in between desperate tastes of him, 'never, ever leave you. I would never want to. I love you, Spike. More than I've ever loved anyone.' He kissed her hard and then let go.

'I couldn't put into words how much I love you.' He whispered, leaning his forehead against hers, as she began to cry.

'Please, don't leave me.' She sobbed, clasping the lapels of his jacket tightly. Spike pulled her close. 'Don't let him take you away. I can't lose you.'

They stood stock still for a moment, just holding each other in the dark room, silence all around them.

Until a knock came at the door.

I-E-H

'Can't run from me, B. I'm everywhere in here. No getting away.' Faith's voice came from the other side of the door as the lovers embraced. They separated reluctantly and both eyed the door. Buffy looked to Spike.

'I need you to fight this. Change anything. Just will it, put everything you have into it. Use us, use our connection. I know you can do this.' She whispered, taking his hand. Spike nodded and stared at the door, his whole body tense. She could feel his shaking through his hand, and she gripped it harder, wiling everything she had in her to him, giving him strength.

The door flew open and Faith stood in front of them grinning. She raised her fists. 'Come on B, let's go some.'

Buffy smiled as the doorway shook and the walls around them began to crumble. Spike was shaking harder and growling. Faith dropped her stance and looked at him in shock. Then she glared. 'It won't be that easy, Hostile.' She transformed into Franken-Riley as the walls were completely obliterated with an ear-shattering roar from the vampire. All three figures fell, landing on the soft grass of the cemetery that Buffy had landed in when she first arrived. Franken-Riley was first up, but Buffy and Spike followed quickly. The vampire smirked.

'That's right, Jigsaw-boy. I'm back, and I'm a BLOODY ANIMAL.' Spike yelled the last bit and with a gleeful look on his face, he rushed the monster, following his charge with a succession of kicks and punches that had Franken-Riley back against a crypt wall. Buffy felt overwhelmed with joy, watching Spike beat the snot out of Riley, who was feebly attempting to punch back, but not succeeding against Spike, who was in full game face and out for damage.

Her smile faded as scores of Franken-Riley's began appearing from darkness. Spike twisted the head off of his opponent and roared in triumph before looking around. 'Oh balls.' He said, moving back to Buffy's side. They were back to back as the Riley-Army surrounded them.

'No way out.' Buffy whispered. Spike grasped her hand.

'I'm a virus, Buffy. I multiply. You've not got a chance of beating me. Not here.'

'I reckon we've got a shot,' Spike smirked, and he squeezed Buffy's hand. 'My mind, my rules, mate.' Buffy smiled at the cockiness that had returned to his voice, glad he wasn't letting Riley's fake scenarios beat him down. 'Look down, Slayer. Reckon this should give us an edge.'

She looked down and saw the sword that had materialised in her hand. Spike held a similar one and grinned widely. 'I've always wanted to do that Braveheart charge.' Then he turned and charged, sword in hand, rushing the enemy with a yell like no other.

I-E-H

Tara looked at her watch. Buffy had been sprawled on the floor, comatose, for a good three hours. She was getting worried. Her concern only increased when Spike's body began to jerk on the floor. Buffy's followed suit and Tara panicked, reaching for the spell circle, ready to break it when she stilled her hand. Small wounds began appeared on both the bodies, nothing life threatening but still, blood. Blood was never good. Spike would recover from wounds; Buffy would not.

Then, before her eyes, the wounds on Buffy healed up straight away. The witch stood, checking Spike and seeing the same reaction. A small smile turned the corner of the vampire's face and Tara knew she couldn't drag Buffy out. Whatever they were fighting, it was likely the last obstacle remaining between them and getting Spike freed from his prison.

I-E-H

The more Franken-Riley had spread himself out, the weaker he had become it seemed. Buffy was slicing and dicing with no problems and she could see Spike was thoroughly enjoying his hack and slash adventure. But then, he'd never liked Riley. Bodies were falling in front of him like rain, and his gleeful whoops and laughter were music to her ears. She swept her sword round in an arc, taking out five of them, and before long, Spike was facing four Franken-Rileys and Buffy had only one left. The one she had yelped as she brought the sword towards her and she paused with the tip at his throat.

'Fine, you've won. You've done it.' He held his hands up and became the Riley she'd known before the apocalypse. His human form gave her pause and she wilted a little, hearing Spike still fighting behind her. 'But…you know it won't last Buffy. He has no chip. He's evil.'

'And you were peaches and cream, Riley? It didn't take much to make you go to the dark side. You could have fought back, killed Adam yourself, but you embraced what he did to you. That thing you became…it still sounded like you, still had your prejudices.' Buffy spat, not dropping the sword but her grip loosened. Her mind was telling her he was human, even though she knew it wasn't real and couldn't let herself get sucked in.

'Prejudice? I wasn't prejudiced. I was right! He's evil. And you're a slut for going with _another_ demon.' He grew angry and swiped the sword away, grabbing her by the throat. 'I didn't want to kill you. I still thought we could make it work, despite your reservations-' He morphed back into the demon hybrid. '-You would have been happy with me. But I'll be just a happy knowing he's suffering without you.' He squeezed and Buffy felt the pain of a burning airway, needing oxygen. She struggled, tried to push his hands away but could feel her vision fading.

Suddenly the weight was off of her, and she watched, gasping for breath as Spike plunged his hand into Franken-Riley's chest, pulling out his heart and the wires attached to it. He watched as the body went limp and disappeared. The vampire stood up and looked over at Buffy.

'Never cared for that wanker.' He spat.

Then his eyes rolled back in his head and he hit the floor. Buffy shrieked his name and reached out for him, only to find her own vision blackening and the world around her vanished.

I-E-H

A/N: Hope you enjoyed that one. I was going to drag it out a bit longer, but I figured I'd be nice. I always felt in the series that Spike needed to believe in himself a bit more, and not let others put him down. I hope I conveyed his emotional triumph well enough here. Please review!


	21. Chapter 21

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

A/N: And so we have come to the end of my little fic. This is the last chapter, probably with an epilogue. It's taken eight years and the invention of Google Earth to finish but I'm glad it's done and pleased with the outcome. I'd like to thank everyone who has been on this journey with our heroes and especially those who have taken the time to review. I hope you enjoy the ending.

I-E-H

Buffy opened her eyes, immediately feeling the stiffness of the floor beneath her and the ache it was causing in her back. _Note to self, pass out in a more comfortable place next time._ She hoped that she was back in the army medical complex, recognising the ceiling but not trusting it to be real for the moment. When Tara appeared over her, a look of concern on her gentle features, she conceded that she was indeed home. _Or as close to home as this place could be._

She sat up, stretching her back out and then climbed to her feet, brushing off Tara's hands checking her for injuries and her questions about what had happened. She moved to Spike's side, noting with dismay that his body had not moved and he was not awake.

'It didn't work?' Buffy asked, looking to Tara with tears in her eyes.

'I don't know, Buffy, I was hoping you'd tell me.'

'We fought Riley. He'd left some sort of virus inside Spike's head. Said it would turn his brain to mush and leave him a shell. I…we fought him. Spike was ready to give up but…we won. We killed the virus. We destroyed it. Then Spike screamed and collapsed and I…' She ran her hand down his face. 'I'm here. He should be here too.' A single tear ran down her cheek. 'He promised he wouldn't leave me.'

'Maybe he just needs time to heal the damage that Riley did.' Tara suggested, placing a comforting hand on Buffy's shoulder.

'Riley said my blood slowed him down. It might work again, speed the healing process.' Buffy murmured, looking for something sharp around her. 'I have to give him my blood.'

'Buffy maybe you should wait…'

'No!' The Slayer shouted. 'I waited last time and it nearly killed him. I'm strong, I can do this.' She found the knife she'd used before and held it over her wrist, slicing through the skin like butter. Blood welled up and she pressed the open wound to Spike's mouth. He didn't swallow. Tara watched for a moment, seeing the despair on Buffy's face and reached over, massaging the vampire's throat so the blood would pass into his system.

For a few moments nothing happened and Buffy was ready to collapse into tears. Then Spike's arm moved. He reached up and grasped her wrist, drinking hungrily. Buffy laughed, tears spilling in hysteria as he swallowed more of her life-giving blood. Tara joined her in tears and Buffy gently pulled her wrist away as Spike's eyes opened and he smiled wearily at her.

'Thanks love.' He whispered, his hand reaching up to trace her face. She flung herself over his chest, sobbing for all she was worth. Tara chose that moment to slip away from the bed and out of the room, leaving them to their private moment. 'You didn't need to do that.'

'I couldn't lose you. I didn't know what happened…I was so scared he'd come back and trapped you again.' Buffy whimpered between sobs, trying to touch him anywhere, everywhere to prove he was really there.

'I'm okay, I'm here.' He grimaced. 'Still tired though. You look knackered too, pet.' She shifted over and lay next to him on the small bed, curling her arm around him tightly. 'Why don't we get some sleep yeah?' He kissed the top of her head and she nodded, sniffling into his side.

When Tara looked in on them a few hours later, Slayer and Vampire were tightly entwined, peacefully asleep.

I-E-H

'They want to debrief you. The complex has been cleared and a thirty mile wide area cleared of demons. They're mobilising units across the country and communicating with other nations to take down the remaining hybrids. But they want a clear report from you.' Giles said, watched Buffy shovel mash potato into her mouth. Spike was sitting in chair opposite him, studying his nails with interest. The Slayer nodded and finished her plate, wiping her mouth on her sleeve with little grace. Giles rolled his eyes and smiled, glad to see she was at last back to some semblance of normal.

'So, they want to meet with us and get a full report?'

'Yes. They are unaware of the altercations that occurred afterwards; as far as they are concerned, Spike was just seriously injured and recovering. They don't really understand the mystical side of this.' The ex-librarian cleaned his glasses. 'Your mother would also like to come by in a while. She was worried.'

'I know.' Buffy whispered. 'We got it done though, Giles. We can get back on with the rebuilding.' She looked to Spike. 'Get on with our lives.'

'If you would permit me,' Giles started, preparing for the backlash. 'I would like to get an insight into your…bond with Spike. It's never been documented and whilst the Council is gone, it remains something that I would like to know more about.' He waited for an outright denial of his request, instead finding himself shocked when Spike nodded.

'I think that's a good idea. The good witch said that Buffy was healing instantaneously from injuries.' Spike said, looking to his mate for confirmation. Buffy nodded.

'Yeah, look at my wrist!' She held out the appendage to Giles. 'I cut it yesterday, Giles. Not even a scar. I know I used to heal quick, but that's superfast.' She stretched. 'Can't wait to see what other nifty powers I've got.' She brightened, looking to Spike. 'Maybe you can go out in the sun?!' She got excited and Giles held his hands up, palms flat.

'Now, now, Buffy, there's no need to rush. We can test the extent of both your abilities later. For now, you're expected in the "war room" so to speak in about an hour. I will leave you to it. Shall I ask your mother to come along now?'

'No.' Buffy said, looking at Spike slyly. 'I'll find her after the meeting.'

Looking the pair of superbeings making eyes at each other, Giles thought it best not to ask what they would be doing in the meantime.

I-E-H

'There were screens yes? The hostile had been using surveillance?' One of the generals asked, and Buffy nodded, looking extremely bored. Spike wasn't with her, but she could feel him getting antsy outside the door and in turn, she was getting frustrated with asking inane questions.

'And after the dismemberment of Agent Finn, there were further hybrids ready to assume command?' Another general asked, writing furiously on his pad.

'Not as far as I'm aware. He took control from Adam when I killed him.' Buffy looked at the clock on the wall by the table. 'Look, I've answered all your questions, there's not a lot else I can tell you. I kill things, I don't usually stop for details.'

'Very well, Miss Summers.' The colonel she'd dealt with before stood and saluted. 'We would like to offer you a commendation for your work here. Undoubtedly, whilst we do not understand how one girl could come to be so powerful, we are certain that without your…expertise, we would not have won this fight.' Buffy smiled; it was nice to be thanked for once. The colonel dropped the salute and cleared his throat. 'May we ask what you and your vampire intend on doing now?' The disdain in his voice at the presence of Spike in the complex did not go unnoticed but she couldn't really blame them.

'We don't know yet. Maybe travel, take out the hybrids we find. It's my job after all.' The colonel nodded and she assumed she was dismissed. She bolted for the door, and as soon as she had shut it behind her, she flung herself at Spike. After kissing him furiously for a few moments, she pulled away. 'I hate being apart from you. Even just another room away.'

'Let's hope that doesn't wear off.' Spike said, a seductive tone to his voice as he ran his hands over her shoulders and down her back. 'Shall we go find your mum, let her know we're both back to full strength.'

'I don't know about you, but I feel even better than before this all started.' She chewed the inside of her mouth. 'But you're right, we should go find mom.'

I-E-H

It turned out her mother had taken advantage of the lack of hybrids and gone for a walk. It was bright sunshine outside, and Buffy had decided that was the perfect time to test out Spike's new abilities.

'And what if it doesn't work? Don't fancy a deep suntan today, pet.' He eyed the entrance to the complex with trepidation. Buffy pouted at him and tugged on his arm.

'You'll never know unless you try. Come on, Spike. Don't be a wimp.'

He eyed her bottom lip, sticking out at him and relented. He took a hesitant step forward, holding his hand up over his face at the bright light about to hit him. The sunshine hit his feet, travelled up his legs and hit him. It felt warm, too warm and he panicked he was burning until Buffy's shout of joy.

'It's not burning you!' She pulled him forward, ignoring that his eyes needed to adjust after over a century in the dark. She danced around, pausing only to kiss him and check him for burning again. 'We can go anywhere! Do anything!' The glee in her voice was infectious and he laughed, picking her up and spinning her around, oblivious to the confused looks of soldiers stood on duty outside the entrance.

Spike took off at a run, enjoying the warmth on his skin as Buffy chased behind him. They ran through the deserted streets of Washington DC, ignoring soldiers and civilians wandering about the mostly empty city. The vampire followed his sense to Joyce, who was sat on a bench by the dirtied waters of the Reflecting Pool. She smiled as the two approached and then it clicked that Spike was stood in sunlight and she stood, shocked by what she was seeing.

'Buffy? Spike?' She asked, and the two came to a halt, smiling at the middle-aged lady as she gaped at them.

'Mom! Spike can go out in the sun!' Buffy almost yelled, barrelling into her mother with a fierce hug. 'How great is that?'

'It's wonderful honey, but how?' Joyce asked, returning the hug and then placing her hands on Buffy shoulders, whilst looking at Spike.

'Side effect our bond.' Buffy blushed, and then she jumped up and down again. 'Oh, and I have super-fast healing and I'm feeling great, and…'

'Pet, slow down.' Spike chuckled, taking a seat on the bench. 'Let your mum get her bearings.' Joyce smiled thankfully at him as Buffy blushed further.

'Sorry.' She sat next to Spike as Joyce took up the remaining seat on the bench. 'I guess I got a bit excited.' They sat in silence for a moment, looked at the leaves floating in the pool. Spike turned as another figure approached them. It was Tara, who was smiling brightly.

'Spike!' The witch exclaimed. 'You're out…in the sun?'

'Yep. Can tan for a change.' He said, stretching and putting an arm round Buffy's shoulders. She lent her head into him, watching the wind send soft ripples across the water.

Tara followed her gaze and looked around at the greenery around them. 'In a way, the time off from humans has done some good. Mother Earth has had a chance to replenish. My only wish was that it hadn't happened at such a cost.'

'At least we can hopefully learn from our mistakes.' Joyce said, taking Buffy's hand and squeezing it. The Slayer smiled at her mother's words and squeezed her hand back.

'What brings you out here Tara?' Spike asked and she sat down, cross legged beside the bench.

'The complex is separating. I was wondering where you guys were going, and if…if I could tag along?'

'I wouldn't mind asking the same thing.' Joyce asked. 'I'd like to head back to New Orleans soon, but I don't fancy travelling alone. Giles is staying with the army for a while, investigating the hoard of materials that monster kept.' Buffy looked up at Spike and they seemed to be thinking the same.

'We don't mind. You're more than welcome to come with us. But we don't know where we're going. World is our oyster now.' Spike said, gazing down at his mate with nothing but love in his eyes. Buffy returned the look and kissed him softly.

The four sat in companionable silence, watching the sunset over the Lincoln Memorial, just enjoying the peace that had finally settled over the world.

I-E-H

A/N: Oh I love happy endings. Hope you didn't find it too cheesy!


	22. Epilogue

DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

EPILOGUE

Buffy smiled as she gazed out over the ocean. She'd never seen the world so clear. Six months had passed since they'd taken down Adam, Riley and the rest of the hybrids. There were still a few left, but a lot had shut down after the fall of their leaders.

She'd seen so much of the world, and they'd ended up here in a quiet little seaside town in Cornwall, England. Giles had an estate a few miles up the country in Bath, which had remained intact. She'd been shocked at how many people had survived the apocalypse and how fast things were progressing in the wake of the enemies defeat. The last communication they'd had from Giles was that 89% of the world was dead, but that the planet was replenishing itself quickly and people were finding a way out of the carnage. Even the friendly demons were returning to their normal ways of life.

Tara had said the earth was purer now, healthier than before. But as she had said in Washington, it was a shame that it had come with such a price.

Spike had shown her things she'd never imagined. They'd travelled thousands of miles, staying in abandoned houses, but with a more carefree attitude to things. Tara had found a coven near this town to work with and the vampire and Slayer had decided to settle for a while.

The others had all gone off in their own directions. Oz had declined the offer to travel with them and had instead headed off on his own with a small group of civilians he'd befriended in the complex. From what Buffy understood, he'd been kept out of the final fight because he wasn't a soldier but he'd busied himself helping with the wounded. She hadn't heard from him since leaving, and she hadn't heard of or come across Ryan or Tiree. But somehow, she knew they were all okay and she would see them again one day.

She had encountered Faith and Wesley in London, and Faith had explained her absence from the main fight with an injury, sustained trying to rescue Wesley. She'd even apologised for how things had turned out way back when. Buffy would never like the girl, but she could forgive her in the presence of her penance. She was fighting the good fight now, and that was all that mattered.

Her thoughts drifted to Angel. She hadn't seen him since they left and he'd done his morose departed through the smoke. Three years previous it had cut her to the bone, now she was glad he was alive, but not entirely unhappy to see him leave. She'd heard he'd popped up in New Orleans where they'd left her mom, but upon hearing of her and Spike's continued happy relationship and his ability to walk in the sun, he'd sulked off into the night.

Spike had found that hilariously funny.

Giles had met someone on his travels with the army. A female colonel, Alice, Buffy thought her name was, and she'd accompanied Giles to Bath. She seemed nice, a little prim and proper but Giles liked that sort of thing. She probably had a wild-side in the sack, Spike said.

Buffy made a face at that thought. Not a visual she needed.

Arms slid around her waist and she smiled as Spike hugged her from behind.

'Enjoying the view pet?'

'Yeah. It's nice here.'

'Used to be a popular tourist destination when I was a boy. For the most part, Cornwall was untouched by the hybrids. Nothing here for them. They were interested in the counties further up – lot of army bases. But I wouldn't mess with the denizens of Cornwall if I were a bad guy. They're a hardy folk down here!' He mocked a Cornish accent and Buffy laughed.

'You sound like a farmer.' She giggled, turning in his arms.

'Oh ay my loveeeerrr.' He drawled, tickling her sides. She pushed him onto the bed and straddled him, leaning down to kiss him firmly.

'Where would my goddess like to go tomorrow?' He asked, kissing her back.

'I was thinking I'd try my hand at surfing.' She whispered.

'Anything you want, pet. Anything you want.' He smiled back.

FIN

THANKYOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS READ, REVIEWED AND FOLLOWED THIS STORY TO THE END.


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